The Karnataka High Court invalidated Congress MLA S.N. Subba Reddy’s 2023 election from the Bagepalli Assembly constituency due to proven irregularities in his election affidavit. The court’s decision followed detailed arguments from both sides and examination of reports, with directions to inform the Election Commission and the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretary. The petition challenging Subba Reddy’s election was filed by defeated BJP candidate C. Muniraju, alleging that the MLA had concealed property and income details and provided false information to the Election Commission.
The legal battle spanned nearly two years, with Muniraju seeking to annul Subba Reddy’s election and declare himself the Bagepalli seat winner. While the High Court nullified Subba Reddy’s election, it did not declare Muniraju as the victor. Subba Reddy claimed the case was politically driven and accused of a conspiracy against him. Despite his counsel’s request for a stay on the order to appeal to the Supreme Court, the High Court denied the stay.
Muniraju expressed satisfaction with the judgment, stating his belief in the judiciary and hailing the decision as a triumph for justice. He emphasized that the ruling bolstered public trust in the legal system, attributing the outcome to effective argument presentation in court. Apart from the affidavit issues, Muniraju also raised allegations of Subba Reddy’s involvement in a scandal.
