Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday alleged a ‘criminal conspiracy’ by D N Jeevaraj in the recounting of votes for the Sringeri Assembly seat, claiming that the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballots cast in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with.
The recount was conducted on May 2 following directions from the Karnataka High Court, after Jeevaraj filed an election petition challenging Raje Gowda’s 2023 victory. According to the returning officer, the reverification process led to a reduction of 255 votes originally counted in Raje Gowda’s favour. A report has since been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action.
Raje Gowda had initially won the 2023 Assembly election by a narrow margin of 201 votes over Jeevaraj. However, after the recount, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
Speaking at a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said irregularities were observed during the recounting process. He alleged that 255 postal ballots, which had been accepted as valid by counting agents from all major parties—including Congress, BJP, and JD(S)—were later altered by officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. These votes were initially accepted as valid, but later tampered with. This clearly indicates a criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was responsible, Siddaramaiah directly accused Jeevaraj and others, calling it a ‘planned act’. He also criticised the returning officer for announcing the revised result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer, saying it violated established procedures.
Also read: Karnataka bypolls: Cong victory reflects public trust, says CM
“The returning officer should not have declared the result immediately after counting. This is against the law,” he said, adding that the BJP had committed not just ‘vote chori’ (theft) but ‘vote dacoity’.
Siddaramaiah said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and stressed the importance of maintaining electoral transparency and fairness. “We want free and fair elections as mandated by the Constitution,” he said.
The Chief Minister confirmed that the government is preparing to challenge the outcome legally. “We will file an appeal in court against the returning officer’s announcement,” he said, also noting that a forensic examination of the disputed postal ballots would be ordered.
Responding to questions on elections in other states, Siddaramaiah pointed to signs of anti-incumbency in West Bengal and described results in Tamil Nadu as surprising, mentioning that actor Vijay’s party appeared to be gaining significant ground.
Following recent wins by Congress candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future elections in Karnataka, stating that the party would return to power in the 2028 Assembly polls.
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