HC seeks Fadnavis's reply on petition challenging his election

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday sought former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's reply to a petition challenging his election from Nagpur South-West constituency in the 2019 Assembly election.

Justice Manish Pitale issued a notice to Fadnavis on a petition filed by advocate Satish Uke. The petition alleged that there were discrepancies in the nomination papers submitted by the BJP leader. Uke alleged that Fadnavis, with the help of his polling agent (present Nagpur Mayor) Sandip Joshi, influenced the returning officer and submitted a forged affidavit.

The returning officer showed "undue favour" to Fadnavis and accepted the nomination papers, the petition alleged. The high court should call for Fadnavis's nomination papers submitted on October 3, 2019, to ensure that evidence is not tampered with, the petitioner demanded.

Fadnavis's election should be declared null and void for electoral malpractices, it prayed. "Issue notice to respondent," Justice Pitale said in the order and posted the petition for hearing on February 14.

Image Credit: PTI