Bombay High Court Issues Notice to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
Bombay High Court Issues Notice to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
In a significant move, the Bombay High Court on Thursday issued a notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in response to a petition challenging his 2024 assembly election win from the Nagpur South West constituency.
The petition, filed by Congress leader Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, claims that there were serious procedural violations and corrupt practices during the elections. Gudadhe, who lost the seat to Fadnavis by a margin of 39,710 votes, has requested the court to annul the Chief Minister’s victory.
Justice Pravin Patil of the High Court’s Nagpur bench has issued a formal summons to Fadnavis, with a return date set for May 8. While the Chief Minister does not have to appear in person, his legal team is required to submit a response to the petition.
The legal challenge highlights alleged violations of mandatory electoral procedures during the November 2024 elections, in which the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory with 230 out of 288 seats. Fadnavis was re-elected as Chief Minister, with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar taking the role of Deputy CMs.
Additionally, the court has issued similar notices to BJP MLAs Mohan Mate from Nagpur West and Kirtikumar Bhangdia from the Chimur constituency in Chandrapur district, regarding separate election petitions.
This legal challenge has drawn attention to the credibility of the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections and could have broader implications depending on the court’s ruling.
