On Wednesday, DN Jeevaraj of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was sworn in as the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Sringeri in Karnataka, following a recount of postal ballots mandated by the High Court. This recount overturned the initial victory of Congress candidate TD Raje Gowda in the May 2023 assembly elections. The swearing-in ceremony came after a BJP delegation, led by Opposition leader R Ashoka, complained to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot about delays in the process. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticized the recount outcome, labeling it a conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP, claiming that 255 votes for Raje Gowda were improperly invalidated. Siddaramaiah stated that the BJP was in power during the postal ballot counting, raising concerns over the integrity of the process. Additionally, the High Court recently stayed an FIR filed by the Chikmagalur Police against election officials accused of tampering with the postal ballots after the election results were declared. The Congress party intends to legally challenge the recount results.