In Brief
A Gram Panchayat candidate (appellant) challenged the election result for village Pradhan after finding a discrepancy of 19 votes between what the Presiding Officer orally told him versus the official Form 46. He filed an election petition seeking recount. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate ordered recount, but the High Court quashed the order citing lack of documentary evidence. The Supreme Court restored the recount order, holding that where prima facie allegations of irregularity exist, important election documents are missing, and multiple candidates question the election's integrity, recount is justified despite secrecy of ballot concerns. The court emphasized that electoral integrity matters more than who won.
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