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Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress connected Friday (January 2, 2026) accused Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar of violating the exemplary codification of behaviour successful unit for civic polls, interfering successful the information process and tampering with CCTV footage linked to the exercise.
The allegations related to the filing of nominations by candidates connected December 30 astatine the Returning Officers' (RO) bureau successful Colaba, which was handling forms from 3 wards, for the January 15 polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The information process ended connected December 30.
Mr. Narwekar, the BJP MLA from Colaba successful South Mumbai, dismissed the charges arsenic "baseless" and politically motivated. The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) connected Thursday sought a study from civic main Bhushan Gagrani pursuing claims by immoderate candidates that returning officers successful Colaba refused to judge their information forms.
Some candidates who failed to taxable their nominations successful Colaba person alleged Narwekar pressurised section officials to not judge forms of immoderate contestants. They claimed Narwekar's effort was to filter retired imaginable candidates who could person damaged the prospects of the predetermination of 3 BJP candidates who are relatives of the Speaker.
Mr. Narwekar was contiguous astatine the RO bureau to enactment authoritative BJP candidates.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed CCTV footage linked to filing of nominations connected December 30 astatine the RO bureau had gone missing.
"This is simply a precise superior matter. What reply volition Rahul Narwekar springiness me? His governmental travel began successful the Shiv Sena. As per my information, CCTV footage aft 4 p.m. (on Dec 30) has been removed. How tin the Assembly Speaker's CCTV footage spell missing?" the Rajya Sabha MP asked.
He claimed Ministers had been calling predetermination officials contempt the exemplary codification of behaviour being successful force, and said information papers of Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi candidates were rejected successful ample numbers, peculiarly successful Thane.
The Congress, a Shiv Sena (UBT) ally, separately alleged that Narwekar violated the polls codification and interfered successful information process of Opposition candidates. Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal demanded registration of a transgression lawsuit against the Narwekar.
In a missive addressed to State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare, Mr. Sapkal alleged Mr. Narwekar threatened Opposition candidates who were filing information papers and utilized the constabulary machinery to forestall them from submitting their forms.
Mr. Sapkal sought enactment against astir 70 officers and unit members from the Assembly Speaker's office, alleging they were actively progressive successful campaigning for Narwekar's relatives who are contesting the civic elections.
According to the Congress leader, Mr. Narwekar's member Makrand, sister Gauravi Shivalkar and sister-in-law Harshada person filed information papers arsenic BJP candidates from wards 225, 226 and 227 successful Colaba.
He claimed that astir 5 p.m., portion the information process was underway, Opposition candidates attempting to record papers against BJP contestants were threatened done the constabulary and prevented from submitting their forms.
The MPCC president described the incidental arsenic a superior maltreatment of powerfulness by a idiosyncratic holding a precocious law station and said it amounted to interference successful antiauthoritarian process.
Mr. Sapkal alleged the Speaker exerted unit connected the medication to artifact Opposition candidates and intimidate them.
Stating that specified behaviour from a law authorization amounts to an onslaught connected democracy, Mr. Sapkal urged the SEC to show that the regularisation of instrumentality prevails successful Maharashtra and instrumentality strict enactment successful the matter.
Meanwhile, erstwhile MP Haribhau Rathod connected Friday claimed Mr. Narwekar objected to his beingness erstwhile helium had gone to record his son's information successful Colaba for the civic polls.
Talking to reporters, Rathod alleged that the Speaker was contiguous astatine the RO bureau connected December 30 until 5 p.m. and adjacent instructed officials to dilatory down the processing of information forms.
"All of Narwekar's threats and remarks are connected record. If thing happens to me, those recordings volition beryllium the proof. He besides threatened me," the erstwhile MP claimed.
A video that has surfaced connected societal media shows Mr. Narwekar purportedly saying, "How tin you person constabulary extortion and inactive privation to protestation here? I volition person to region your extortion tomorrow."
Mr. Narwekar is past heard instructing 1 of his colleagues to telephone the associated commissioner of constabulary (Protection), Mumbai, and saying, "On what grounds person you been fixed constabulary protection? There should beryllium nary information for you. You don't merit it." "What is the menace cognition to Haribhau Rathod? He is successful Mumbai and readying to signifier an agitation here. Withdraw his information immediately. As the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, these are my instructions to you," Mr. Narwekar purportedly said.
Mr. Narwekar rejected the charges levelled by the Opposition parties and insisted it was his work to instrumentality enactment if immoderate idiosyncratic tried to pressurise others, but denied immoderate wrongdoing.
"When I accompanied BJP's authoritative candidates to the returning officer's office, immoderate radical gathered extracurricular and were creating a scene. I requested the constabulary to pass them. I cognize thing much astir the incident," Mr. Narwekar said.
He denied immoderate relation successful missing CCTV footage, saying, "If I was not there, however volition I look successful immoderate footage? Such baseless allegations person nary meaning." Narwekar asserted that it was incorrect to question the motives and actions of SEC officials and accused the Opposition of making allegations to divert attraction from an impending defeat.
