Straight Fight with Venkatesh Prasad on December 7
Bengaluru: In a dramatic turn in the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) presidential election, the Karnataka High Court on Friday set aside the rejection of K.N. Shanth Kumar’s nomination and directed that he be treated as a valid candidate. The order has now reopened the contest, which was appearing headed towards an unopposed victory for former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad.
Speaking to TheBengaluruLive shortly after the verdict, Shanth Kumar expressed relief and satisfaction.
“I am very happy. Now the road is open to contest. December 7 is the election,” he said over the phone.
How the Nomination Was Rejected
Shanth Kumar, who is contesting as the representative of Deccan Herald and Prajavani Sports Club, had his nomination declared invalid by the Electoral Officer on November 24. The rejection was based on a ₹200 subscription fee pending in the club’s name.
Challenging the order, Shanth Kumar moved the High Court, arguing that the dues were not personal but were in the name of the institution — and that the amount had been cleared before scrutiny.
Senior advocate S. Rajendra, appearing for Shanth Kumar, submitted video evidence before the Court to establish that the payment had indeed been made in time. He argued that the rejection lacked justification and violated the principles governing the election process.
High Court’s Key Findings
Justice Suraj Govindaraj, after examining the evidence, quashed the Electoral Officer’s decision. The Court issued a certiorari to set aside the November 24 order and a mandamus directing the officer to treat Shanth Kumar as a valid candidate.
The Court also instructed that the election schedule, as already fixed, must continue, with the announcement of eligible candidates postponed to 3 pm on November 29.
Straight Fight on December 7
With the Court intervention, the KSCA presidential election will now witness a straight contest between:
- K.N. Shanth Kumar — backed by the Brijesh Patel group
- Venkatesh Prasad — supported by the Anil Kumble–aligned “Game Changers” panel
This development has given fresh momentum to the election, which had been clouded by disputes over eligibility, bylaws and the nine-year cooling-off rule.
Election Timeline and Previous Delays
The KSCA polls were originally scheduled for November 30 but were pushed to December 30 amid confusion over tenure regulations and eligibility criteria. The High Court had earlier set aside that postponement as well, directing that elections must be held as per the existing bylaws — leading to the revised date of December 7.
Now, with the Court’s fresh ruling in favour of Shanth Kumar, the election process has regained clarity and is moving ahead without further delay.
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: KSCA ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷೀಯ ಚುನಾವಣೆಗೆ ಶಾಂತಕುಮಾರ್ ಸ್ಪರ್ಭೆಗೆ ಹಸಿರು ನಿಶಾನೆ: “ನನಗೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಸಂತೋಷ… ಈಗ ಸ್ಪರ್ಧೆಗೆ ದಾರಿ ತೆರೆದಿದೆ”
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