Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has issued summons to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in connection with a poll petition challenging his 2024 victory from the Nagpur South West assembly constituency. The petition was filed by Congress leader Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, who had contested against Fadnavis and lost by a margin of 39,710 votes.
In his plea, Gudadhe alleged that there were procedural lapses and corrupt practices during the election process. He requested the High Court to declare Fadnavis' election victory "null and void".
According to Gudadhe's legal team, represented by lawyers Pavan Dahat and AB Moon, several mandatory provisions were not adhered to during the polls held in November last year.
The bench, presided over by Justice Pravin Patil, has issued summons to Chief Minister Fadnavis, which are returnable on May 8. Gudadhe's legal representatives told PTI
The Mahayuti alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had achieved a sweeping victory in the assembly elections, securing 230 out of the 288 seats in the Maharashtra assembly. This decisive win paved the way for Fadnavis to assume the role of Chief Minister.
In addition to the summons issued to Fadnavis, the High Court has also summoned BJP MLA Mohan Mate from Nagpur West and Kirtikumar Bhangdia from the Chimur constituency in Chandrapur district.
(inputs from PTI)