“Election invalid”: Karnataka HC nullifies Bagepalli Congress MLA SN Subbaareddy’s election
Bengaluru: In a major blow to Congress MLA Subbareddy, the Karnataka High Court on Monday nullified the election of the Bagepalli MLA on grounds of election malpractice during the 2023 assembly polls.
A single-judge bench headed by Justice M.G.S. Kamal partially allowed the petition filed by the defeated BJP candidate C. Muniraju, which sought to nullify Subbareddy’s election and declare Muniraju the winning candidate. However, the bench refused to declare Muniraju as the winner.
The court has directed the registrar to forward a copy of the judgment to the Election Commission and the Assembly Secretary. The detailed judgment is yet to be released.
Immediately after the order, Subbareddy’s lawyer stated that an appeal would be filed in the Supreme Court against the High Court order and requested a stay on the judgment until the appeal is heard.
The petitioner’s lawyer opposed this request, and after hearing the arguments, the bench refused to grant a stay.
In the results of the 2023 Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections for 224 constituencies declared on May 13, S.N. Subbareddy, contesting on a Congress ticket from Bagepalli in Chikaballapura, won by securing 82,128 votes. His nearest rival, BJP candidate C. Muniraju, received 62,949 votes, losing by a margin of 19,179 votes.
Following this, BJP candidate C. Muniraju filed an election dispute petition in the High Court on June 24, 2023, challenging Subbareddy’s victory. The Returning Officer had declared Subbareddy elected as the MLA from Bagepalli.
Subbareddy had filed his nomination on April 20, 2023, submitting an affidavit that should have included detailed information on the assets and liabilities of his wife and dependents, including investments in bonds, shares, debentures, companies, mutual funds, and personal loans.
However, Subbareddy allegedly failed to disclose several details in his affidavit, providing incomplete and false information.
This omission was considered to fall under electoral malpractice, prompting Muniraju to request that he, as the runner-up, be declared the winning candidate. Subbareddy opposed this request, seeking dismissal of the application.
The High Court has now partially upheld Muniraju’s petition, declaring Subbareddy’s election invalid while refusing to declare Muniraju the winner.
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Karnataka Speaker Khader finishes fourth in Dirt Prix event
Mangaluru (PTI): Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker U T Khader on Sunday finished fourth in a dirt track racing event organised by the Indian Motor Sports Club here.
Driving a Volkswagen Polo GT, Khader narrowly missed a podium finish, ending just seconds behind the third-place finisher.
An avid motorsport enthusiast since his college days, Khader has participated in several racing events involving both motorcycles and cars.
Organisers said his performance on the dirt track was consistent with his previous racing record.
Speaking informally after the event, Khader said he continues to follow motorsport and enjoys driving, describing the experience as a "refreshing change" from his official responsibilities.
The Dirt Prix event saw participation from multiple racers and was aimed at promoting grassroots motorsport.
