Rajegowda Restored As Sringeri MLA By Supreme Court

BENGALURU: Supreme Court on Monday passed an interim order to maintain status quo before the state of affairs as it existed before the recount of postal ballots, May 2, with regard to Sringeri Assembly seat of Chikkamagaluru district for which election was held in May, 2023. The Supreme Court bench stated “We cannot let you hijack democracy like this.”

With the SC order, T.D. Rajegowda is back as Sringeri MLA. The top court ordered steps to be initiated to restore Rajegowda as MLA.

In the recount of postal ballots held as per the direction of High Court of Karnataka, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee D.N. Jeevaraj won by a slender margin of votes while T.D. Rajegowda alleged tampering of postal ballots by BJP and moved the Supreme Court.

In May 2023 postal ballots count, D.N. Jeevaraj got 692 votes and Rajegowda 569 votes. The recount result announced by polling officials declared Jeevaraj polled 690 votes and Rajegowda secured 314 votes. While Jeevaraj’s postal ballots came down by 2, Rajegowda’s postal ballots came down by 255 votes.

After the May 2023 election result, BJP’s Jeevaraj approached the High Court seeking recount of postal ballots in particular and the recount held on May 2. In the reverification and recounting of postal ballots, officials announced the revised result, BJP’s D.N. Jeevaraj was declared elected.

The petitioner Rajegowda in his appeal to the Supreme Court stated the High Court only ordered the reverification of 279 rejected postal ballots and the Returning Officer took into consideration 562 postal ballots which were declared “invalid.”

The invalid declared postal ballots were in the Congress nominee’s favour. After the recount, Rajegowda’s postal ballots came down and BJP’s Jeevaraj was declared winner.