Doorstep voting begins in Dakshina Kannada, 8010 voters to cast votes from home
Mangaluru: Doorstep voting commenced in Dakshina Kannada constituency for the Lok Sabha elections, with 8,010 senior citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) exercising their right to vote over a three-day period.
On Monday, 6,053 senior citizens and 1,957 PwD voters in Dakshina Kannada cast their votes through postal ballots. This voting method will be available across the eight Assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada until Wednesday, April 17. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had previously announced the provision of doorstep voting for voters aged 85 years and above, as well as for PwD voters.
In total, the constituency boasts 8,010 voters in these categories who have opted for postal ballots this election cycle. According to official figures, Bantwal Assembly constituency has 975 such voters, Belthangady has 812, Mangalore has 515, Mangalore City South has 1,401, Mangalore City North has 976, Puttur has 1,127, and Sullia constituency has 1,038 voters who have chosen to utilize the ECI's doorstep voting facility.
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Justice Nagarathna dissents on SC collegium’s recommendation of Justice Pancholi
Dissent cites seniority concerns, Gujarat High Court’s over-representation
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge B.V. Nagarathna has recorded a dissent note against the collegium’s recommendation to elevate Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi to the apex court, The Indian Express reported.
The five-member collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, and Nagarathna, reached the decision with a 4–1 split. Justice Nagarathna, the lone woman on the bench, opposed Pancholi’s elevation, citing concerns over seniority and regional representation.
Justice Pancholi ranks 57th on the all-India seniority list of high court judges. Justice Nagarathna reportedly objected to the move, noting that it came less than three months after another judge from the Gujarat High Court, Justice N.V. Anjaria, was elevated to the Supreme Court. She argued that advancing Pancholi would bypass several senior judges and further increase Gujarat’s representation at the top court, while other high courts remain underrepresented.
Her dissenting note, according to reports, emphasized that such decisions could undermine the credibility of the collegium system and have long-term consequences for the administration of justice.
Justice Pancholi, who served nearly two decades in the Gujarat High Court, was transferred to Patna High Court in July 2023 and appointed its Chief Justice in July 2025. His elevation, along with that of Justice Anjaria, was intended to maintain Gujarat’s representation in the Supreme Court following the retirements of Justices M.R. Shah and Bela Trivedi earlier this year.
With a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, the Supreme Court follows criteria of seniority, merit, integrity, and regional balance in appointments. Justice Nagarathna’s dissent highlights ongoing debates about diversity and fairness in judicial elevations.
