TD Raje Gowda, a former Congress MLA, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India challenging a high court order that mandated a recount of postal ballots in the Sringeri assembly constituency in Karnataka. The recount, conducted on May 2, resulted in his rival, DN Jeevaraj of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), being declared the winner. Gowda's legal counsel presented the case to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, seeking an urgent hearing given the implications of his lost MLA position. The Chief Justice agreed to schedule the hearing for May 11. Concurrently, the Chikmagalur police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against two election officials and Jeevaraj, alleging tampering with postal ballots. However, the High Court has put a stay on any investigations related to this FIR until June 3, complicating the legal landscape surrounding the election results.