'No Lame Excuses': Supreme Court Slams ECI Over Missing Sringeri Poll Footage

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reprimanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) for failing to locate the video recording of the 2023 vote counting in Karnataka's Sringeri Assembly constituency, making it clear that it would not entertain "lame excuses". The court questioned the poll body's explanation that records related to an election it had conducted were missing.

A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva voiced strong displeasure after the ECI's counsel informed it that the footage of the original counting was untraceable.

The bench instructed the Commission to submit all available records at the next hearing, cautioning that failure to produce the documents could lead the court to draw an adverse inference.

"How can the Election Commission of India say that it has lost the records? Your whole purpose is to hold an election, and you need to have a document. Where is the question of you saying we are trying to trace it?" the bench asked. "We will not accept these kinds of lame excuses," it remarked.

The matter concerns a petition filed by Congress leader TD Rajegowda, who is contesting the revised election result for the Sringeri constituency. Rajegowda was initially declared the winner in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections.

The outcome was later challenged by BJP candidate Jeevaraj in the Karnataka High Court. Subsequently, the high court ordered a recount of postal ballots and the reverification of 279 postal votes that had been rejected.

After the recount, the Returning Officer declared a revised result, naming Jeevaraj as the winner. Rajegowda then moved the Supreme Court to challenge the decision.

In May, the apex court granted interim relief to Rajegowda, directing that he continue serving as the Member of the Legislative Assembly while his petition was pending.

Through his plea, Rajegowda has sought the election observer's report and video recordings of the initial counting in 2023 as well as the recount conducted this year. The bench scheduled the next hearing for February 15, 2027.