Today, On 8th December, A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the election of Congress leader and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah from the Varuna constituency. The plea alleges serious irregularities and seeks judicial scrutiny of his 2023 victory, raising key questions of electoral legality.
A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court challenging the election of Congress leader and current Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramiah, from the Varuna constituency.
A Bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta has issued a notice regarding the matter, seeking a response from Siddaramiah.
Earlier, in April, the Karnataka High Court dismissed this petition. The petitioner, K. Shankara, a voter from the Varuna constituency, alleged that the five election guarantees outlined in the Indian National Congress (INC) manifesto for the 2023 state elections amounted to bribery and a corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act.
Also Read: Karnataka HC Dismisses Petition Against CM Siddaramaiah’s Varuna Election Victory
Shankara contended that, as the manifesto was released with Siddaramiah’s consent, he too was guilty of corrupt practices. Consequently, the petitioner requested the Court to invalidate Siddaramiah’s election and prohibit him from contesting elections for six years.
In April, Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav rejected these claims, asserting that election guarantees cannot be deemed a corrupt practice.
Justice Yadav also criticized the casual manner in which the election petition was prepared, noting discrepancies in the paragraph numbering when compared to the accompanying verification affidavit, as well as an incorrect mention of the State’s Chief Secretary’s name.