How Jayanagar drama unfolded: After massive lead shrank, postal ballot re-verification ended Congress hopes

A tight contest from the get-go, by Round 5 — there were a total of 16 —  Ramamurthy was leading by 492 votes and by Round 10 Sowmya was ahead by 15,157 votes. But Ramamurthy staged a comeback and by Round 14 the Congress candidate’s lead was down to 3,681. By the penultimate round, it was down to 473 and by the last round, according to the EC website, Sowmya had a 294-vote lead.

As per EC rules, a re-verification of all postal ballots was ordered as the victory margin was lower than the total number of postal ballots (750). The rules mandate that all postal ballots — including those rejected as invalid and those counted in favour of each candidate — have to be verified again and tallied in the presence of an observer and the returning officer.

With the results left hanging in the balance, BJP supporters gathered outside the SSMRV College counting centre in Tilaknagar before the security was beefed up. The Congress alleged that Bangalore South MP Tejasvi Surya — Jayanagar is part of the parliamentary constituency — entered the counting centre and interfered with the counting in violation of EC guidelines. As per the poll panel’s rules, only the candidates or their representatives are allowed in the counting centre during the counting of votes. A video of Tejasvi Surya using his mobile phone allegedly inside the counting centre went viral, leading the Congress to allege manipulation.

Around 9 pm, state Congress president D K Shivakumar and his brother and MP D K Suresh reached the counting centre. They were also joined by the Congress legal team and other supporters of the party who huddled near the centre. A scuffle also broke out between Suresh and police officials when the former tried to get into the centre.

A Congress leader told The Indian Express, “Around 160 postal ballots which were earlier rejected, were later counted as valid and the election officers declared the BJP candidate as the winner. Moreover, instead of a gazetted officer, a non-gazetted officer signed the postal ballot votes, which violates the EC rules.”

A teary-eyed Reddy was seen walking out of the counting centre as the BJP broke into celebration on managing to wrest control of the seat from the Congress. The constituency was earlier represented by B N Vijayakumar, a close associate of late BJP leader Ananth Kumar. Following Vijayakumar’s death in 2018, its control passed on to Sowmya whose father Ramalinga Reddy represented the constituency for four terms between 1989 and 2004. Jayanagar also assumed added significance as the first of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mega roadshows in Bengaluru passed through Jayanagar.

Thanking voters, but not responding to the Congress’s allegations, Surya tweeted, “We reclaim Jayanagar. Our humble tribute to Sri BN Vijayakumar Sir. We’re especially grateful to the senior citizens & first-time voters of Jayanagar for having trusted BJP for serving them.”

Sowmya is a former social worker with over a decade of experience in grassroots activism, research, training, community mobilisation, women’s rights, human rights, humane education, animal welfare, environmental protection and policy advocacy.

Ramamurthy is a two-time BJP corporator of Pattabhirama Nagar and a long-time member of the Sangh Parivar. He was the co-in charge of the Mandya byelection in 2019 and the Puducherry Assembly election in 2021, where All India N.R. Congress, in coalition with the BJP.