Sringeri recount confirms Congress MLA Rajegowda's win by 201 votes
Congress MLA T.D. Rajegowda on Saturday, 2 May retained his seat in the Sringeri Assembly constituency of Karnataka after a High Court-ordered recount of postal ballots confirmed his victory. The development brings closure to a prolonged legal dispute that had cast uncertainty over the 2023 Karnataka Assembly election result in the constituency.
Background: A Razor-Thin Margin
In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate D.N. Jeevaraj had lost to Rajegowda by a slender margin of just 201 votes. Out of 1,822 postal ballots cast, 279 votes were rejected. Dissatisfied with the outcome, Jeevaraj sought a recount, but the then District Election Officer declined the request and declared Rajegowda the winner. Jeevaraj subsequently challenged this decision before the Karnataka High Court.
The Recount Process and Missing Ballots
The High Court ordered a recount of the postal ballots, setting off a process that was significantly delayed due to a discrepancy: only 270 ballot papers were initially found out of the 279 rejected votes. The remaining nine rejected ballot papers had gone missing, prompting an intensive search by officials that lasted from early morning before the documents were eventually traced. The delay pushed the entire recounting process well beyond its scheduled completion time.
Rajegowda's Reaction
Speaking after his victory was confirmed, Rajegowda said he had deliberately chosen not to approach the Supreme Court to stay the recount proceedings.
