New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued notices to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Election Commission of India on a petition alleging electoral malpractice during the last Assembly elections.

The petition, filed by K. Shankar, seeks to nullify Siddaramaiah’s election from the Varuna Assembly Constituency, accusing him of violating election laws. Shankar’s earlier plea before the Karnataka High Court was dismissed, prompting him to approach the Supreme Court, challenging that order.

A Division Bench, headed by Justice Vikram Nath, heard the matter this morning and issued notices to both Siddaramaiah and the Election Commission.

Shankar, a voter from Varuna and a former Gram Panchayat Member of Someshwarapura, Koodanahalli, urged the Court to set aside Siddaramaiah’s election, alleging that the CM engaged in corrupt electoral practices through implementation and promise of Congress party’s five Guarantee Schemes.

According to the petition, Siddaramaiah allegedly secured votes by presenting the Guarantee Schemes as inducements, which Shankar argued amounted to gratification offered to voters in violation of election rules.

Congress party’s manifesto for Assembly polls had announced five major Guarantees. The petition argued that these Guarantees were projected as promises not only by Congress party but also by Siddaramaiah himself, with his consent & approval and were intended to directly influence voters in Varuna.

“They are in the form of gratification to the electorate of the Varuna Constituency and with the object of directly inducing the electorate to vote for the Congress party candidate, namely the respondent. The consideration was the vote in favour of the respondent as a gratification with the motive and reward,” the petition stated.