Supreme Court Stays Sringeri Recount Result, Restores Congress MLA TD Rajegowda

New Delhi, May 11: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the operation of the recount exercise conducted in Karnataka’s Sringeri Assembly constituency, which had resulted in BJP leader D.N. Jeevaraja being declared elected and sworn in as MLA.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and K. Vinod Chandran passed the interim order while hearing an appeal filed by Congress leader T.D. Rajegowda, who was unseated following the recount of postal ballots.

The apex court directed restoration of the status quo ante — the position that existed before the recount — after observing that the Returning Officer had prima facie exceeded the scope of the Karnataka High Court’s order by re-verifying postal ballots that had already been validated.

Rajegowda argued before the court that while the High Court had ordered re-verification of only 279 rejected postal ballots, the Returning Officer also recounted 562 postal ballots that had already been counted in his favour.

Taking note of the submissions, the Supreme Court observed that 248 postal votes earlier counted for Rajegowda were deducted during the recount process, while two votes were added to BJP candidate Jeevaraja’s tally.

“As per the material placed before us, the Returning Officer deducted 248 postal votes cast in favour of the petitioner from out of the 562 postal votes earlier counted in his favour and two postal votes were added to the earlier 689 postal votes polled for the respondent,” the bench noted.

The court further observed that the exercise appeared to have gone beyond the scope of the High Court’s directions and held that the subsequent steps taken on its basis were “prima facie without foundation.”

Issuing notice on Rajegowda’s appeal, the Supreme Court ordered that all actions taken pursuant to the recount exercise would remain in abeyance until the matter is finally decided.

“All steps taken in pursuance of the aforestated exercise undertaken by the Returning Officer shall remain in abeyance till the appeal is decided. Such order requires restoration of status quo ante and steps shall be taken to effect the same,” the bench directed.

The order effectively suspends the declaration of Jeevaraja as the winning candidate and his swearing-in as MLA, while restoring Rajegowda’s position pending further hearing.

The election dispute relates to the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections. BJP candidate D.N. Jeevaraja had challenged Rajegowda’s victory before the Karnataka High Court. After nearly three years of litigation, the High Court in April 2026 directed recounting of postal ballots.

Following the recount conducted on May 2, 2026, several postal ballots earlier counted in Rajegowda’s favour were declared invalid. Jeevaraja was subsequently declared elected on May 3, 2026, by a margin of 52 votes.

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