Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 4: In a major setback to the Congress, BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj has been declared the new MLA from Sringeri constituency after a recount of postal ballots conducted as per the high court’s directive. During the recount, 255 votes of Congress MLA T D Rajegowda were declared invalid, enabling Jeevaraj to secure a lead of 52 votes and receive the certificate as the elected representative.

In the 2023 assembly election, Congress candidate T D Rajegowda had defeated BJP’s D N Jeevaraj by a narrow margin of just 201 votes and had been serving as MLA since May 2023. However, Jeevaraj had challenged the result by filing a petition in the Karnataka high court.

Following the high court’s order on April 6 directing re-verification and recounting of postal ballots, the process began on Saturday and continued till midnight. The recount led to a significant change in the results.

While Jeevaraj initially had 692 votes, the recount confirmed 690 valid votes in his favour. In contrast, Rajegowda’s votes dropped sharply from 569 to 314, marking a reduction of 255 votes. This substantial difference ultimately altered the final outcome.

Based on the revised results, election authorities officially declared Jeevaraj as the MLA in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and election rules. With this announcement, Rajegowda lost his position as MLA.

Reacting to the development, Rajegowda expressed serious doubts over the recounting process. He alleged that there were discrepancies in ink and markings in some of the ballots counted in his favour. He also questioned how votes that were earlier considered valid during the election were now declared invalid.

In this connection, Sudheer Kumar Murolli, who had served as Rajegowda’s counting agent during the 2023 assembly election, has filed a complaint at Chikkamagaluru Town police station alleging tampering of 255 ballot papers. He has also demanded an investigation against several individuals, including the then election officer.

The incident has sparked widespread debate in Karnataka politics, raising serious questions about the transparency of the electoral process, particularly in the handling of postal ballots. The Sringeri case has emerged as a significant example of how election results can be altered through legal intervention.