Bengaluru, May 4: In a significant development in Karnataka, D.N. Jeevaraj, the candidate from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has emerged victorious in the Sringeri assembly constituency. This victory comes after a recount of postal ballots, where he defeated the incumbent Congress MLA, T.D. Rajegowda. The official announcement was made by election officer Gaurav Kumar Shetty on Monday.
The recount process was conducted under the directives of the Karnataka High Court, following allegations related to the 2023 assembly elections. The report on the recount was submitted to the Election Commission of India on Sunday.
After receiving his certificate of election on Monday, Jeevaraj described his win as a “victory of truth.” He emphasized that this success followed a three-year-long legal battle. Jeevaraj had previously alleged irregularities during the vote counting process after the 2023 elections, claiming that significant discrepancies were found in the previously rejected ballots.
He accused the opposition of improperly rejecting bundles of 25 votes. “Votes were illegally added to favor someone else. We had already requested the preservation of the ballots,” he stated.
In response to an FIR filed against him following his victory, Jeevaraj remarked that it is incorrect to allege tampering after a loss. He pointed out, “When they won, it was termed a constitutional victory, but when we win, it’s called tampering. There is no basis for the FIR against me, and we will challenge it in the Supreme Court.”
Tejasvi Surya, president of the BJP’s youth wing and MP from Bengaluru South, congratulated Jeevaraj, stating that this win strengthens trust in the electoral system and judiciary. He also expressed gratitude to the voters of Sringeri.
Previously, the Karnataka BJP had demanded an immediate declaration of results in accordance with the High Court’s order, alleging that the Congress government was pressuring officials.
However, on Saturday, Congress MLA Rajegowda had celebrated his victory with supporters, declaring himself the winner after the recount.
Meanwhile, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state president D.K. Shivakumar labeled the incident as a “large-scale conspiracy and organized crime,” calling it a stain on democracy.
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