Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench has reserved its verdict on Congress leader Prafulla Gudadhe Patil’s plea challenging CM Devendra Fadnavis’ election from South-West Nagpur, raising questions over alleged violations under election law.
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court reserved its judgment on an election petition filed by Congress leader Prafulla Gudadhe Patil, challenging the election of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from the South-West Nagpur constituency.
Gudadhe Patil, who lost to Fadnavis in the previous Assembly elections, has accused the Chief Minister of violating the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.
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The High Court also heard similar petitions from Congress candidates Girish Pandav, Satish Warjurkar, Santosh Rawat, and Subhash Dhote, all of which were addressed together by Justice Praveen Patil.
The proceedings took a procedural turn early on, as the High Court had to issue notices due to the petitioners’ non-appearance in person a requirement under election laws.
This oversight raised questions about the petitions’ maintainability, with the respondents pushing for outright dismissal on technical grounds, particularly referencing Section 81(1) of the Representation of the People Act, which governs the format and submission of election petitions.
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During a heated two-hour hearing, the respondents’ counsels, including senior advocate Sunil Manohar and Adv Uday Dable, argued that the petitions were procedurally flawed and unworthy of judicial consideration, advocating for dismissal at the outset.
In response, the petitioners’ lawyers, Adv Mahmood Pracha and Adv Pavan Dahat, robustly defended the petitions’ validity, accusing the respondents of trying to obstruct the legal process through technical challenges.
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They submitted comprehensive written arguments to support their case.
With both sides having presented their arguments, Justice Praveen Patil has reserved the verdict, leaving political circles in Nagpur and beyond eagerly awaiting the High Court’s decision on a matter that could have far-reaching consequences.