Supreme Court Rejects Election Commission’s Claims of Missing Karnataka Vote Count Videos

The Supreme Court of India has firmly stated that it will not entertain any excuses from the Election Commission (EC) regarding the alleged loss of video recordings from the counting of votes during the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. This statement came during the proceedings of a case involving Congress leader T.D. Rajegowda and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) D.N. Jeevaraj, highlighting the court’s emphasis on accountability in the electoral process.

During the hearing, Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva expressed their disbelief over the EC’s assertion that it could not locate the crucial video footage. “How can the Election Commission of India say that it has lost its record?” the bench questioned, raising concerns about the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.

The dispute revolves around the closely contested election in the Sringeri constituency, where Rajegowda emerged victorious in 2023 by a mere 201 votes. This narrow margin prompted Jeevaraj to challenge the election results in the Karnataka High Court. The High Court, on April 6, ordered a recount of the votes alongside a verification of 279 rejected postal ballots.

The recount led to a significant turnaround in the results. Jeevaraj’s vote count surged to 690, while Rajegowda’s tally dropped to 314, resulting in a net loss of 255 votes for the Congress leader. The recalibrated results ultimately declared Jeevaraj the winner by a margin of 52 votes. Displeased with this outcome, Rajegowda escalated the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking redress.

On May 11, the Supreme Court ordered that Rajegowda would retain his position as MLA for Sringeri pending the resolution of his appeal. The court’s recent remarks underscore its commitment to ensuring a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the missing video footage, as it plans to instruct the Election Commission to submit the election observer’s report and any related recordings.

Source: scroll.in