Defeated Candidate Declared Winner After SC Orders Vote Recount in Sarpanch Polls

Swift Summary

• The sarpanch election in Buana Lakhu village, Panipat, Haryana witnessed a dramatic outcome after a vote recount took place on the Supreme court premises.
• Initially declared as losing the November 2022 race, Mohit Kumar was announced the winner following the recount conducted under video surveillance.
• The controversy began when Kumar’s rival candidate, Kuldeep Singh, was initially declared victorious. After disputes arose:

– An Election Tribunal in Panipat ordered a recount in April 2025.
– This order was overturned by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2025.
– Kumar later appealed to the Supreme court.

• A three-judge Bench led by Justice Surya Kant allowed a recount of votes on August 6 inside the Supreme Court premises under strict monitoring. Both candidates and their representatives were present during the process.
• Following verification, both videographic evidence and signed confirmations validated Mohit Kumar’s victory.
• On August 11, based on this evidence, Justice Surya Kant’s Bench officially declared Mohit Kumar as sarpanch and directed acceptance of these results as final.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The decision to conduct an official vote recount within Supreme Court premises underscores an extraordinary level of judicial intervention in local electoral matters. This case sets a notable precedent regarding judicial oversight over electoral disputes-a reassurance for candidates contesting controversial elections while ensuring transparency through advanced measures like videography.

The episode also highlights systemic gaps that can allow prolonged legal uncertainty around grassroots-level elections-potentially undermining faith in local governance mechanisms if not addressed promptly. Though,it also reflects india’s constitutional commitment to fairness even at micro-political levels such as panchayat elections.

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