Overview
- The Supreme Court dismissed M. K. Pranesh’s appeal on Thursday and upheld the Karnataka High Court, effectively voiding his December 2021 MLC election and paving the way for A. V. Gayathri Shanthegowda to be declared the winner.
- The court held that nominated members of municipal and town panchayats are not entitled to vote in Legislative Council elections because the 74th Constitutional Amendment and related law draw a clear distinction between elected and nominated local representatives.
- Karnataka High Court judges had already ordered segregation of the 12 ballot papers cast by nominated councillors and a recount in January 2025, and the Supreme Court directed the Registry to transmit that sealed recount report to the High Court for final implementation.
- The original count showed Pranesh with 1,188 votes and Gayathri with 1,182; the 12 nominated votes exceeded the six‑vote margin and were decisive in changing the outcome once excluded.
- Practical effects include Gayathri taking the seat for the remainder of the term to January 2028 and a reported shift in the 75‑member Council balance to 40 Congress seats and 27 BJP seats, a change that could affect floor arithmetic and legislative business in Karnataka.