In Brief
A panchayat election dispute in Bihar where the appellant challenged the election of the respondent as Mukhia (village head). The Election Tribunal found serious irregularities during vote counting—valid votes for the appellant cast with light ink were rejected, while invalid votes for the respondent were accepted—and ordered a recount. The High Court Division Bench reversed this order. The Supreme Court reinstated the Tribunal's recount direction, holding that material allegations of counting irregularities, supported by witness evidence, justified the recount. After recount confirmed the appellant had secured 95 more valid votes than the respondent, the Supreme Court declared the appellant duly elected under Section 140 of the Bihar Panchayat Raj Act, 2006.
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