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SC orders rare EVM recount, flips Haryana sarpanch poll result after row
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and N Kotiswar Singh ordered the recount after a dispute arose over the election results. The recounting was done inside the Supreme Court, overseen by its registrar, and was fully videographed in the presence of both parties, Live Law reported.
Election dispute reaches SC
The Sarpanch election was held on November 2, 2022, and Kuldeep Singh was declared the winner. Mohit Kumar, the rival candidate, challenged the result through an election petition.
On April 22, 2025, the Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division)-cum-Election Tribunal in Panipat ordered a recount of votes from booth no. 69. The Deputy Commissioner was directed to carry it out on May 7. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court later set aside this order.
SC orders recount of all booths
When the matter came up on July 31, the top court ordered the production of all EVMs and poll records — not just those from one booth, the news report said.
"Taking into consideration the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, the Deputy Commissioner and the District Election Officer, Panipat, Haryana is directed to produce all the EVMs before the Registrar of this Court, to be nominated by the Secretary General, at 10 a.m. on August 6, 2025. The nominated Registrar shall recount the votes, not only of the disputed booth but of all the booths. The recounting shall be duly videographed. The petitioner as well as the respondent no.1 or their authorised agents shall remain present at the time of recounting," the court said in its order.
The recount took place on August 6 with party representatives and lawyers present. Votes from booths 65 to 70 were tallied again. The revised count showed Mohit Kumar securing 1,051 votes, ahead of Kuldeep Singh, who got 1,000.
The registrar submitted a report of the recount to the court. On August 11, the Bench observed there was 'prima facie no reason' to doubt the report, as it had been videographed and signed by both parties' representatives, the news report said.
High court order overturned
The Supreme Court set aside the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order and declared Mohit Kumar the duly elected Sarpanch.
"The Deputy Commissioner-cum-Election Officer, Panipat is, accordingly, directed to issue a Notification in this regard within two days declaring the appellant as the elected Sarpanch of the above-mentioned Gram Panchayat. The appellant shall be entitled to assume the said office forthwith and perform his duties," the court ordered.
It also clarified that any remaining disputes could be raised before the election tribunal, but the tribunal must accept the registrar's report as the final recount result. The resealed report and EVMs will now be sent to the Tribunal to become part of the official record.
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