Mumbai, Jan 6 (PTI) Eight candidates moved the Bombay High Court on Tuesday alleging that their nomination forms for the Mumbai civic elections were not accepted by the returning officer at the behest of BJP MLA and Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar.
The elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will be held on January 15.
The petition — filed by the eight aspirant candidates — sought a direction to the State Election Commission and concerned authorities to accept their nomination forms.
The petitioners and several other independent candidates submitted their forms for ward nos 224 to 227 with necessary documents and security deposit, but Narwekar forced the returning officer not to accept them, the plea alleged.
These wards fall in Narwekar’s Colaba assembly constituency in South Mumbai.
“Narwekar has interfered in free and fair elections by misusing his political power and position as Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha and forced the police machinery to throw the candidates (petitioners) out of the premises of the Election Returning Officer,” the petition alleged.
The candidates’ complaints to the State Election Commission went unheeded, it claimed.
The petition was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad on Tuesday seeking urgent hearing, but the HC said it would be taken up for hearing in due course.
Notably, Narwekar’s brother Makrand Narwekar, sister Gauri Shivalkar and sister-in-law Harshita Shivalkar are in the fray from wards 225, 226 and 227.
Opposition parties have accused Narwekar of violating the model code of conduct, interfering in the nomination process and tampering with CCTV footage linked to the exercise. The Speaker has denied the allegations, terming them politically motivated. PTI SP KRK
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