Orissa High Court: The Bench of Biswanath Rath, J. entertained the writ petition challenging the order passed by the learned trial Court, directing for recounting of votes of the elected candidate.
The instant writ petition was filed referring to the pleadings in the election dispute which arose before the trial court. The said petition was filed by the elected candidate who pleaded to set aside the order of the trial court confirming the decision of the Election Tribunal for recounting of votes involving the petitioner.
The petitioner contended that in absence of any counter claim for the recounting of the votes of the petitioner by the defeated candidate, votes in favour of opposite party should only be recounted and the rejected votes should be examined. The petitioner wanted the court to interfere in the impugned order and to set aside the same.
The respondent relied on the direction passed by the tribunal for recounting of the votes of the petitioner i.e the elected candidate and hence, did not wish to file any counter claim against the elected candidate.
Perusing the records, the Court opined that, there was no counterclaim involving the allegation for counting of votes in favour of the petitioner and as it was not pleaded in the written statement the tribunal must not had decided the particular issue i.e recounting of the votes of the elected candidate. The Court held, that the Election Tribunal has exceeded its jurisdiction by traveling beyond the scope of litigation involved therein. The Court further directed the Tribunal to conclude the dispute of the miscellaneous case by giving both the parties an equal opportunity of hearing.[Ritarani Jena v. Sumaatee Jena, 2019 SCC OnLine Ori 173, Order dated 02-04-2019]
