Nagpur: In a development that could carry significant political implications, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has 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 was defeated by Fadnavis in the last Assembly elections, has accused the CM of violating provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Along with Gudadhe’s petition, the High Court also heard similar petitions filed by Congress candidates Girish Pandav, Satish Warjurkar, Santosh Rawat, and Subhash Dhote, all of which were taken up together by Justice Praveen Patil.
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However, the proceedings took a procedural turn early on, as the High Court had to issue notices due to the non-appearance of the petitioners in person — a requirement under election laws. This lapse raised questions over the maintainability of the petitions, with the respondents seeking outright dismissal on technical grounds, particularly citing Section 81(1) of the Representation of the People Act, which governs the format and filing of election petitions.
During an intense two-hour-long hearing, the counsels for the respondents, including senior advocate Sunil Manohar and Adv Uday Dable, argued that the petitions were procedurally defective and did not merit judicial consideration. They pressed for dismissal at the threshold.
Countering this, petitioners’ lawyers Adv Mahmood Pracha and Adv Pavan Dahat strongly defended the validity of the petitions and accused the respondents of attempting to derail the legal process through technical objections. They submitted detailed written arguments to bolster their case.
With both sides having placed their arguments on record, Justice Praveen Patil has reserved the verdict, leaving the political circles of Nagpur and beyond on edge as they await the High Court’s decision on a matter that could ripple far beyond the courtroom.
