Karnataka High Court orders re-examination of postal ballots in Sringeri election case
Bengaluru/Chikkamagaluru: The Karnataka High Court has directed a re-examination of 279 postal ballots in the Sringeri Assembly constituency election dispute, marking a significant development in the ongoing legal battle over the 2023 Assembly results.
The order came while hearing a petition filed by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj, who had challenged the election of Congress MLA T D Rajegowda. The court, presided over by Justice R. Nataraj, directed authorities to complete the re-verification process within two weeks and declare the result thereafter.
At the same time, the court granted a two-week interim stay on its own order, allowing the respondent to approach the Supreme Court. Counsel for Rajegowda sought the stay, citing plans to file an appeal before the Supreme Court of India. The plea was opposed by the petitioner’s counsel, but the court permitted the interim relief.
The case stems from the 2023 Assembly elections, where Rajegowda had won the Sringeri seat by a narrow margin of around 200 votes. Alleging discrepancies in the counting of postal ballots, Jeevaraj had approached the High Court seeking to declare the election invalid.
In his petition, Jeevaraj also alleged large-scale irregularities, including excessive election expenditure by his opponent. He claimed there were substantial circumstantial evidences to support his allegations.
Rajegowda had earlier sought dismissal of the petition, but the High Court refused to quash it. He later approached the Supreme Court, which disposed of his plea and allowed the High Court to continue hearing the matter, granting both sides the opportunity to present their arguments.
With the latest order, the focus now shifts to the re-examination of postal ballots, which could potentially impact the final outcome of the closely contested election. The case is being closely watched as it may set a precedent for handling election disputes involving narrow victory margins and alleged counting irregularities.
