sc-reverses-haryana-panchayat-result-after-evm-recount

In an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court has ordered the physical production of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for a panchayat election and conducted a recount within its own premises, overturning the declared result of the 2022 Buana Lakhu gram panchayat poll in Haryana’s Panipat district.

 

The recount, supervised by the Court’s Officer on Special Duty (Registrar) Kaveri, took place on August 6 under video surveillance and in the presence of both candidates and their counsel. When the final tally emerged, Mohit Kumar secured 1,051 votes, defeating his rival Kuldeep Singh, who polled 1,000. This reversed the earlier result in which Singh had been declared elected sarpanch.

 

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and N Kotiswar Singh, in its August 11 order, directed the Deputy Commissioner-cum-Election Officer of Panipat to issue a notification within two days declaring Kumar as the duly elected sarpanch.

 

“The appellant (Mohit Kumar) shall be entitled to assume the said office forthwith and perform his duties,” the Bench ordered, stressing that there was no reason to doubt the recount report, which had been signed by representatives of both parties.

Also read: EVM talks fuel INDIA bloc rift as Congress hits back at Omar

 

The electoral dispute began after the November 2, 2022 panchayat election, in which Singh was declared winner. Kumar challenged the result before the Additional Civil Judge-cum-Election Tribunal, which ordered a recount of votes for booth no. 69. The Punjab and Haryana High Court later set aside this order on 1 July 2025, prompting Kumar to move the Supreme Court.

 

On 31 July, the apex court went further than the tribunal, directing that all booths (numbers 65 to 70) be recounted by a Supreme Court Registrar rather than the district administration. The exercise, carried out under video documentation, confirmed that Kumar had outpolled Singh.

 

While setting aside the High Court’s ruling, the Bench clarified that any residual grievances could still be taken before the Election Tribunal.