BJP's M.K. Pranesh quits as Karnataka MLC, Council Vice-Chairman after courts void 2021 win
Synopsis
A six-vote margin in a 2021 Karnataka council election unravelled entirely because of 12 nominated members whose votes were later ruled unconstitutional. With both the High Court and Supreme Court against him, BJP's M.K. Pranesh resigned before he could be formally removed — handing Congress's Gayathri Shantegowda a seat she had already won on paper.
Key Takeaways
Pranesh resigned as Karnataka MLC and Council Vice-Chairman on Saturday after losing in both the High Court and Supreme Court.
The Karnataka High Court on 31 July set aside Pranesh's 2021 election from the Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities' constituency.
After excluding votes of 12 nominated members , Congress candidate Gayathri Shantegowda secured 1,183 votes against Pranesh's 1,174 , reversing a six-vote deficit.
The Supreme Court dismissed Pranesh's appeal, confirming that nominated local body members are not entitled to vote in such elections.
Shantegowda will serve the remaining ~1.5 years of the council term.
Sources say Pranesh resigned to pre-empt a formal removal from office.
M.K. Pranesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) and Vice-Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, resigned from both posts on Saturday after the Karnataka High Court set aside his 2021 election victory and the Supreme Court dismissed his subsequent appeal. Pranesh cited personal reasons and party responsibilities in his resignation letter, though sources indicated the move was aimed at pre-empting a formal removal from office.
How the Courts Unravelled Pranesh's 2021 Win
In the 2021 election to the Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities' Legislative Council constituency, Pranesh was initially declared the winner with 1,182 votes against Congress candidate Gayathri Shantegowda's 1,176 votes — a razor-thin margin of six votes.
Shantegowda challenged the result before the Karnataka High Court, arguing that nominated members of local bodies — specifically from the Mudigere, N.R. Pura, Sringeri and Koppa town panchayats — did not hold a constitutional right to vote in Local Authorities' constituency elections. Karnataka High Court Justice S.G. Pandit, sitting as a single judge, allowed her election petition on 31 July, directing that the 12 nominated members' votes be excluded and a recount conducted.
After the recount, Shantegowda's tally rose to 1,183 votes and Pranesh's fell to 1,174 votes, flipping the result. The High Court formally declared Shantegowda the duly elected candidate and directed the Registrar to forward a copy of its order to Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraj Horatti.
Supreme Court Closes the Door on Pranesh's Appeal
Pranesh moved the Supreme Court challenging both the recount methodology and the High Court's judgment. The apex court, however, dismissed his appeal, affirming that nominated members were not entitled to vote in the election and finalising the invalidation of his membership.
With both courts having ruled against him, sources said Pranesh tendered his resignation to Chairman Horatti at the Council office on Saturday to avoid the embarrassment of being formally removed from his posts.
What Pranesh Said in His Resignation
In his resignation letter, Pranesh stated he was stepping down as Vice-Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council and relinquishing his MLC seat due to personal reasons and to devote more time to his responsibilities within the BJP. The letter made no direct reference to the court orders.
What This Means for Shantegowda and the Council
Congress leader Gayathri Shantegowda will now represent the Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities' constituency in the Legislative Council. She is expected to serve the remainder of the term, which is approximately one-and-a-half years. The case is also likely to set a precedent on the voting rights of nominated local body members in future Legislative Council elections across Karnataka.
Point of View
Seemingly decisive in 2021, became the thread that, once pulled, unravelled the entire result. The BJP's handling of the aftermath — a resignation framed around 'personal reasons' rather than the court verdict — also signals the party's reluctance to publicly absorb the optics of a judicially reversed win in Karnataka, where it is already in opposition.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did M.K. Pranesh resign as Karnataka MLC and Vice-Chairman?
Pranesh resigned after the Karnataka High Court set aside his 2021 election victory and the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal. Sources indicate he stepped down to avoid being formally removed from office, though his resignation letter cited personal reasons and BJP responsibilities.
What did the Karnataka High Court rule in the Pranesh election case?
On 31 July, the Karnataka High Court ruled that the votes of 12 nominated members of four town panchayats — Mudigere, N.R. Pura, Sringeri, and Koppa — were invalid. After a recount excluding those votes, Congress's Gayathri Shantegowda was declared the winner with 1,183 votes against Pranesh's 1,174.
Who is Gayathri Shantegowda and what happens next?
Gayathri Shantegowda is a Congress candidate who contested the 2021 Chikkamagaluru Local Authorities' Legislative Council election. With Pranesh's election set aside, she has been declared the duly elected MLC and will serve the remaining approximately one-and-a-half years of the council term.
What is the constitutional question at the heart of this case?
The central issue was whether nominated members of local bodies have the right to vote in elections to the Legislative Council from Local Authorities' constituencies. Both the Karnataka High Court and the Supreme Court held that they do not, establishing a significant precedent for future such elections.
Did the Supreme Court uphold the High Court's order?
Yes. The Supreme Court dismissed Pranesh's appeal challenging the recount and the High Court's judgment, thereby finalising the invalidation of his election and his removal as MLC and Vice-Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council.
