Chikkamagaluru: Nearly three years after the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections, Congress MLA T D Rajegowda was officially declared the winner from the Sringeri constituency on Saturday. This followed a high court-ordered recount of postal ballots, which ended a prolonged legal dispute with BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj.
Background of the Legal Battle
Rajegowda had originally won the election by a wafer-thin margin of 201 votes. This came after 279 of the 1,822 postal ballots were rejected. Challenging this outcome, Jeevaraj moved the court, initiating a legal battle that continued until April 6, 2026, when the Karnataka High Court ordered a recount of the postal ballots.
Recount Process and Outcome
At the end of the recount, Rajegowda's victory margin increased by two votes, rising from 201 to 203. The recount was conducted at IDSG College in Chikkamagaluru under the supervision of election officer Gaurav Shetty and six assistant officers, in the presence of agents from both candidates. Ballot papers were brought from the strong room earlier in the day, with district officials including the deputy commissioner and tahsildars present.
During the recount, officials first re-verified the 279 previously rejected ballots and then counted the remaining postal votes, including three NOTA votes. Of the 279 rejected ballots, two were found valid during the recount, and those ballots were cast in favor of the Congress candidate, thereby increasing Rajegowda's total by two votes. There was some confusion when only 270 of the rejected ballots could be traced initially, with the remaining nine located after an extensive search.
Reactions and Statements
Reacting to the outcome, Rajegowda said: "I could have approached the Supreme Court with an appeal, but I chose not to, as I wanted the truth to come out, and truth has prevailed." Jeevaraj was unavailable for comments.
Summary of Key Points
- Congress's T D Rajegowda won the Sringeri assembly poll by 201 votes in 2023.
- Out of 1,822 postal ballots, 279 were rejected.
- BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj challenged the result in court.
- On April 6, 2026, the high court ordered a recount of postal ballots.
- During the recount, the 279 postal ballots rejected in 2023 were re-verified.
- Two of the rejected postal ballots were found valid and were cast in favor of Rajegowda.
- After the final count, Rajegowda's margin rose from 201 to 203 votes.
