Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jun 9: An election petition seeking to annul the election of BJP candidate from Jagalur assembly constituency stands dismissed.

Defeated Congress candidate H P Rajesh, had alleged in his election petition that BJP candidate S V Ramachandra, who had been declared elected, had furnished false caste certificate and therefore had prayed to cancel the election result.

The court observed that relating to a petition filed by the petitioner about the genuineness of caste certificate, the district caste certificate scrutiny committee had already conducted inquiry and passed an order in his favour. Therefore, the court said that the interim petition filed by the defendant has been upheld and that argument of the petitioner has been dismissed.

Senior advocate G R Gurumath, arguing the case on behalf of Ramachandra, pointed out that the district caste certificates scrutiny committee had certified that Ramachandra belongs to Valmiki community. Therefore, he had felt that there is no point in continuing with the hearing into the petition and prayed for quashing of the petition.

Jagalur is reserved for scheduled tribe. The petitioner had said that Ramachandra's father, the late Veerappa, belonged to Maratha community and Veerappa's second wife, Kenchamma, belongs to Valmiki community. Kenchama's son, Ramachandra, claims himself to be from Valmiki community but he is not, he had argued. Therefore, he had sought to reverse the result declared in favour of Rajesh.