Overview
- The court directed the Returning Officer to re-verify 279 rejected postal ballots from the 2023 Sringeri Assembly election and to recount postal votes if the findings warrant it.
- The order will not take effect for two weeks after the judge allowed Congress MLA T.D. Rajegowda time to seek an appeal in the Supreme Court.
- The 279 rejected ballots come from 2,101 postal votes, and with a margin of victory of 201 votes, the outcome of the recheck could change the winner.
- The petition by BJP candidate D.N. Jeevaraj challenges the result over alleged lapses in counting and claims that Rajegowda spent Rs 120 crore during the campaign, which he says he can support with circumstantial evidence.
- The court noted issues in the counting process and informed election authorities, illustrating how, under India’s election law, judges can order Returning Officers to re-check rejected ballots before any recount.