Hyderabad, Aug. 16 -- For the first time, the Supreme Court has set aside the 2022 sarpanch election victory in Haryana's Panipat district village of Buana Lakhu following a direction to recount Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes at its headquarters.

The recount, overseen by the Supreme Court Registrar, overturned the announced result and declared Mohit Kumar the winner with 1,051 votes, whereas previously announced winner Kuldeep Singh got 1,000 votes.

The judgment altered the outcome after almost three years of courtroom battle.

The panel of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and N Kotiswar Singh had ordered that the EVMs and election papers be produced in the court.

The recount was on August 6 before officials, representatives...