The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging the election of Congress leader and current Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah, from the Varuna constituency during the 2023 State Assembly polls.
Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav delivered the verdict, rejecting the plea filed by K Shankara, a voter from Varuna, who alleged that the election promises made by the Congress party amounted to bribery and corrupt practices under the Representation of the People Act.
Petitioner Alleges Bribery
The petition argued that the five key guarantees mentioned in the Congress manifesto were offered with Siddaramaiah’s knowledge and consent, and were used to influence voters. These guarantees included free bus travel for women, free electricity, distribution of rice, financial aid for women who head households, and unemployment benefits for educated youth.
Senior Advocate Pramila Nesargi, representing the petitioner, claimed that these promises served as undue inducements to voters, particularly in the Varuna constituency, and amounted to corrupt electoral practices. She also argued that the schemes discriminated based on gender and violated the constitutional right to equality under Article 14. The petitioner requested the Court to declare Siddaramaiah’s election void and to bar him from contesting elections for six years.
More Into The Case
In response, Senior Advocate Ravivarma Kumar appeared for Siddaramaiah and strongly refuted the charges. He maintained that there was no evidence to prove that the Congress manifesto promises were intended as bribes or influenced voters unlawfully. He also criticized the petition as lacking originality, stating that it was a “copy-paste” of a previously dismissed petition challenging another Congress MLA’s election.
Justice Yadav ultimately ruled that the petition lacked substance and dismissed it. The Court had earlier sought a response from Siddaramaiah in July 2023. The case bore similarities to a previous one filed against Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad, which was also dismissed by the Karnataka High Court in March 2024.
With this judgment, Siddaramaiah retains his MLA seat from Varuna and his position as the Chief Minister of Karnataka remains unaffected.
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