4 months ago
1
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MN) person Avinash Anant Jadhav has filed a writ petition successful the Bombay High Court challenging the process that led to respective candidates being elected unopposed successful the upcoming municipal corp elections crossed Maharashtra. The plea alleges that absorption candidates were “forced, intimidated, oregon allured into withdrawing their nominations done corrupt practices,” violating the law mandate of escaped and just elections.
Filed nether Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution done advocator Asim Sarode, the petition names the State of Maharashtra and the State Election Commission (SEC) arsenic respondents. It seeks a court-monitored enquiry into what the petitioner presumption “mass withdrawals” of nominations and a enactment connected the authoritative notification of results successful affected wards.
“The withdrawal of rival candidates was not voluntary but was the effect of systemic coercion, threats, oregon amerciable allurements, violating the ‘free and fair’ mandate of Article 243-ZA,” the plea states. It further alleges that section medication was utilized to facilitate uncontested wins for candidates of the ruling alliance.
According to the petition, 68 of the 69 unopposed seats person gone to the Mahayuti alliance: 44 to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 22 to the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), and 2 to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, while 1 campaigner from an Islamic enactment successful Malegaon was besides elected without contest. These figures, the plea says, are based connected unofficial claims, arsenic the SEC has not formally declared immoderate results.
The petition notes that the SEC has ordered a state-wide enquiry into allegations of coercion and inducements that allegedly led to large-scale withdrawals of information papers up of the January 2 deadline. “The SEC, via its orders dated 02/01/2026 and 03/01/2026, mandated that results of unopposed elections not to beryllium officially declared until an enquiry into the ‘coercive withdrawals’ is completed, but the said orders were violated by the ROs of the respective Municipal Corporation wards,” the petition read.
Mr. Jadhav has besides urged the High Court to nonstop the State Government to amend the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, to present a proviso mandating a minimum ballot stock for candidates elected unopposed. “Considering the information that the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has directed the Central Government to formulate regulations mandating a minimum ballot stock for candidates elected unopposed, successful the aforesaid mode the Hon’ble High Court is empowered to nonstop the State Government to formulate legislation,” the petition states.
The plea highlights the lack of immoderate mechanics for voters to workout the NOTA (None of the Above) option in uncontested elections, terming it a denial of the cardinal close to explicit dissatisfaction. “There is unrest and dissatisfaction successful the minds of the radical successful Maharashtra,” the petition asserts.
Polls to 29 municipal corporations, covering 893 wards and 2,869 seats, are scheduled for January 15, with counting connected January 16. The petition clarifies that it is not challenging the predetermination of immoderate idiosyncratic campaigner but the process of unopposed elections.
