High court hears plea seeking recount in Jayanagar constituency

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday heard a petition seeking re-counting of votes in the Jayanagar Assembly constituency related to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. Congress candidate Sowmya Reddy appeared before the court and responded to a series of questions posed by legal counsel during the hearing.

The matter was taken up by a single-judge bench presided over by Justice S. Rachaiah, who examined the election dispute petition in detail. During the proceedings, Sowmya Reddy faced questions from the counsel representing the winning candidate C. K. Ramamurthy.

Reddy reiterated her claim that the entire process of re-verification and re-counting of votes conducted during the counting of ballots was “completely illegal.” She urged the court to direct a fresh counting of all 827 postal ballots cast in the constituency, alleging serious procedural lapses.

During cross-examination, the counsel questioned whether it was true that, following her request, election authorities and observers had re-examined 198 rejected postal ballots, out of which 124 were later deemed valid. The counsel further pointed out that after re-verification and re-counting, Ramamurthy was declared the winner by a narrow margin of 16 votes.

Responding to this, Reddy acknowledged that the declaration made by the election officer and observers was technically correct. However, she strongly maintained that the process adopted for re-counting and re-verification violated legal norms. “My primary objection has always been that the entire procedure was unlawful. That is precisely why I approached the High Court,” she told the bench.

Reddy also narrated the sequence of events that led to the dispute. She stated that initial media reports had declared her victorious by a margin of 42 votes. Acting on these reports, she visited the counting centre to collect her victory certificate. It was at this stage, she said, that confusion and controversy began to unfold.

The court recorded her statements and noted that further questions from the counsel were pending as part of the evidence examination. Considering this, the bench adjourned the hearing to April 6 for continuation of proceedings.

The case has drawn significant attention due to the razor-thin margin of victory and allegations of procedural irregularities in the counting process, which could have broader implications for electoral transparency and accountability.