SRINGERI
Recount of postal votes in Sringeri assembly constituency ordered by the High Court has been completed and Congress candidate T D Rajegowda has been declared the winner after verification of ballots Officials have confirmed that the margin has changed slightly after recount adding two more votes to the Congress candidate compared to earlier result
Earlier in the 2023 assembly elections Rajegowda had won by a narrow margin of 201 votes but BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj challenged the postal vote counting in High Court The court ordered a fresh recount of postal ballots which was conducted at IDSG College in Chikkamagaluru under official supervision on Saturday After the recount process Congress workers celebrated outside the counting centre with slogans dancing and bursting crackers as the result confirmed their candidate’s victory
Officials said a total of 1822 postal votes were cast and 279 were rejected which later became the basis of legal challenge and court intervention The High Court directed recount following allegations of irregularities raised by the losing BJP candidate leading to prolonged legal proceedings before final verification With the completion of recount authorities are expected to issue final official notification confirming the result of Sringeri constituency election soon
The case had drawn attention as it involved postal ballot verification and raised questions about counting procedures in closely contested rural constituencies
Local party leaders said the victory will strengthen the Congress party in the region and boost confidence among workers after the legal battle They added that the court supervised process has helped clear doubts and ensure transparency in the election process for voters The election officials maintained that all procedures were followed according to rules and postal votes were handled under strict supervision
The outcome is seen as politically significant in Karnataka as both parties prepare for future elections with renewed strategies and focus on strengthening grassroots support in rural and urban areas across the state Officials said further administrative clarity will be issued after final notification is released by the election commission.