The Supreme Court has stayed the recounting of votes and its results in Karnataka’s Sringeri seat. With this decision Congress’s T.D. Rajegowda’s legislature has been temporarily restored. The next hearing of the case will be on May 21.
New Delhi: A major turning point has come in the matter of recounting of votes in Sringeri assembly seat of Karnataka. Supreme Court Congress leader T.D. While hearing Rajegowda’s petition, an interim stay has been put on the process of recounting of votes and its results. The court has ordered to maintain status quo in the case, which means that for the time being everything will remain as before. The next hearing of the case will be on May 21. Along with this, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to present all the documents related to recounting.
After this order of the Supreme Court, BJP candidate D.N. Jeevraj’s victory has been temporarily invalidated. At the same time, Congress’s T.D. Rajegowda’s legislature has been reinstated.
What is Sringeri recounting controversy?
Congress’s TD in the 2023 assembly elections. Rajegowda had won by just 201 votes. This result was announced by BJP candidate D.N. Jeevraj had challenged in the Karnataka High Court. After hearing the case, the High Court had ordered re-counting of the postal ballot.
When the postal ballots were re-counted on May 2 on the orders of the High Court, Jivraj won by 52 votes. After this he also took oath as MLA.
But Rajegowda approached the Supreme Court against this decision. He alleged that there was rigging during the recounting and sealed boxes containing votes were opened. The bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Vinod Chandran heard this petition. “Democracy cannot be allowed to be hijacked,” the bench remarked. After this the court stayed the recounting and its results.
The court has issued a notice to the Election Commission and asked for all the records related to the recounting. The next hearing will be held on May 21. With this decision, Rajegowda’s MLAship has been saved for the time being and he will continue to be an MLA.