New Delhi, Dec 8 (UNI) The Supreme Court today issued notice on a petition challenging the 2023 election of Congress leader and incumbent Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from the Varuna Assembly constituency.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta sought a response from Siddaramaiah after hearing the plea filed by K. Shankara, a voter from the Varuna constituency.
The Karnataka High Court had dismissed the petition in April this year.
Shankara’s plea alleges that the five “guarantee schemes” announced in the Indian National Congress (INC) manifesto for the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls amounted to bribery and a corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act.
He contended that since the manifesto was issued with Siddaramaiah’s approval, the Chief Minister was equally liable for the alleged misconduct.
The petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to declare Siddaramaiah’s election void and debar him from contesting elections for six years.
In April, the Karnataka High Court rejected these arguments. Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav held that election guarantees in a party manifesto do not constitute corrupt practices under the election law.
The High Court also criticised the “casual manner” in which the petition was drafted, pointing out discrepancies in paragraph numbering between the petition and the verification affidavit, and even an incorrect reference to the state’s Chief Secretary.
“These instances are only illustrative and not exhaustive, and would indicate a very casual attitude in drafting an election dispute,” the High Court said in its ruling.
The Supreme Court will now examine the matter after receiving Siddaramaiah’s response.
