NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice seeking response from the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after hearing an appeal from a state voter challenging his election from the Varuna assembly constituency in the 2023 elections.
"Issue notice (to Siddaramiah)," said a two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta.
The top court issued notice and sought reply from Siddaramaiah, after hearing an appeal from one K Shankara, whose plea was rejected in April this year by the Karnataka High Court.
The petitioner, Shankara, a voter from Varuna constituency, had filed the election petition against the CM, on the allegations that the five election guarantees made in the Indian National Congress (INC) party's manifesto for the state polls in 2023 amounted to bribery and a corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act.
Shankara further contended before the apex court that since the manifesto was issued with Siddaramaiah's consent, he too have committed corrupt practices, and thereby he requested the Court to declare his election null and void and debar him from contesting elections for six years.
Earlier in April, Karnataka HC judge, Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav had rejected Shankara's plea after noting in its order that the election guarantees cannot constitute a corrupt practice. He also castigated Shankara for his "casual manner" in which he has drafted the election petition.
Following the dismissal of Shankara's plea in the Karnataka HC, he moved the apex court for relief.