Pranesh M.K. vs A.V. Gayathri

This case was about whether nominated members of Town Panchayats in Karnataka can vote in elections for the State Legislative Council (MLC). The winner of the 2021 Chikkamagaluru MLC election, Pranesh M.K., won by a tiny margin of just 6 votes. His victory was challenged because 12 nominated members of local bodies had voted in the election. The High Court ruled that nominated members are not allowed to vote in these elections and ordered a recount after removing their votes. Pranesh appealed, arguing that since their names were on the voter list, their votes could not be thrown out. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. It explained that under Article 243-R of the Constitution, nominated members are appointed for their special experience and only play an advisory role. Since they are not allowed to vote in municipal meetings, giving them the power to vote in Legislative Council elections would be highly unfair and would weaken democracy. The Court ruled that their inclusion was illegal from the very start, and their votes were completely invalid. Since the 12 invalid votes were double the winner's 6-vote victory margin, the illegal votes clearly affected the final result. The Court ordered the recount to go ahead.

In the 2021 Karnataka Legislative Council election, Pranesh M.K. won by a narrow margin of 6 votes. His victory was challenged because 12 nominated members of local Town Panchayats had voted. The High Court ruled their votes invalid and ordered a recount without those votes.

The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals and upheld the High Court's decision. It ruled that nominated members have no constitutional right to vote in Legislative Council elections. The Court directed that the recount of votes excluding the 12 nominated members must be finalized.

This judgment protects the purity of elections and representative democracy at the grassroots level. It ensures that only democratically elected representatives choose higher legislative bodies, preventing unelected government nominees from changing election outcomes.