Supreme Court Seeks Response from Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on 2023 Assembly Election Challenge

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in a petition challenging his 2023 Assembly election victory from the Varuna constituency.

A bench led by Justice Vikram Nath has sought Siddaramaiah’s response to the petition. At the start of the hearing on Monday, the court appeared reluctant to entertain the matter. However, it was informed that the case of S. Subrahmanyam Balaji vs. Tamil Nadu Government—addressing whether pre-election promises amount to corrupt practices—is pending before a three-judge bench.

Notice Issued Amid Similar Cases
Earlier today, a bench led by Justice M.M. Sundresh issued notice in a similar matter. Following this, Justice Vikram Nath’s bench issued notice to the respondent in the present petition. During proceedings, Justice Vikram Nath questioned how publishing an election manifesto could constitute corrupt conduct.

Petition Previously Rejected by Karnataka High Court
The petitioner alleged that Congress leaders engaged in electoral malpractices. The Karnataka High Court had dismissed the petition, prompting the move to the Supreme Court. The petitioner pointed out that the Congress party manifesto in Karnataka promised five major guarantees:

1. Griha Jyoti – 200 units of free electricity for every household.
2. Griha Lakshmi – ₹2,000 monthly stipend to the female head of each family.
3. Anna Bhagya – 10 kilograms of food grains per month for each member of BPL families.
4. Yuva Nidhi – ₹3,000 per month for unemployed graduates and ₹1,500 per month for unemployed diploma holders for two years.
5. Yathik/ Shakti – Free bus travel for women across the state in regular KSRTC/BMTC buses.

Petitioner Claims Constitutional Violation
The petitioner argued that such “freebie” promises fall under corrupt electoral practices and violate Article 14 of the Constitution by discriminating against men. They demanded that Siddaramaiah’s election be declared void and sought a six-year ban on him contesting elections.

The Supreme Court will now examine whether pre-election promises of freebies can be considered corrupt practices under Indian law and await Siddaramaiah’s response.