Karnataka: A major change has occurred in the election results in the Sringeri Assembly constituency of Karnataka. Following a High Court-ordered recount of postal votes, Congress MLA T.D. Rajegowda’s victory has been overturned, and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate D.N. Jeevaraj has been declared the winner.
According to reports, a total of 255 votes cast by Congress MLA T.D. Rajegowda were found invalid in the recount of postal ballots. Due to this change, the previously defeated BJP candidate D.N. Jeevaraj now has a lead of 52 votes. Election officials have officially issued him the MLA certificate.
This entire matter relates to the 2023 Assembly elections, in which Congress’s T.D. Rajegowda defeated BJP candidate D.N. Jeevaraj by a narrow margin of just 201 votes. Following this victory, Rajegowda served as MLA from May 2023.
However, D.N. Jeevaraj filed a petition in the Karnataka High Court challenging this result. The court ordered a re-examination and recount of postal ballots on April 6th. The process began on Saturday and continued late into the night.
The recount revealed several significant changes. According to preliminary records, D.N. Jeevaraj had received 692 votes, but after the re-examination, 690 votes were declared valid. Meanwhile, Congress MLA T.D. Rajegowda’s vote count dropped from 569 to 314, meaning 255 votes were declared invalid.
This significant difference completely changed the election outcome, giving the BJP candidate an edge. Election officials then formally declared D.N. Jeevaraj the winner under the Representation of the People Act 1951 and election rules.
With this decision, T.D. Rajegowda’s position as MLA has ended, and D.N. Jeevaraj has become the new MLA from the Sringeri Assembly constituency.
This matter has become a topic of discussion in state politics, as the seat of a candidate who had once won was changed after a re-verification of postal votes. According to experts, this decision highlights the importance of postal ballots in the election process and the role of legal scrutiny.
Currently, this decision is sparking political reactions from both parties, while the administration has stated that the entire matter will be handled according to the legal process.
