Bombay HC Dismisses Plea Against CM Fadnavis’ 2024 Poll Win on Technical Grounds
The dismissal was grounded on a statutory requirement under the Representation of the People Act; the petitioner must be physically present when formally filing an election petition;
In a significant legal relief for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court today dismissed an election petition filed by Congress candidate Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe. The petition challenged Fadnavis’s victory in the November 2024 Assembly elections from the Nagpur South‑West constituency.
A division bench led by Justice Pravin Patil ruled that Gudadhe’s petition, alleging “procedural lapses and corrupt practices”, was not maintainable.
The dismissal was grounded on a statutory requirement under the Representation of the People Act: the petitioner must be physically present when formally filing an election petition. The court noted Gudadhe’s absence at the time of submission as fatal to the petition’s validity.
Gudadhe had lost the seat to Fadnavis by 39,710 votes in the tightly contested poll.
In the petition, he sought the declaration of the poll result as null and void, asserting that mandatory legal procedures were not followed. However, in a routine argument, Advocate Pavan Dahat, representing Gudadhe, conceded that Gudadhe was physically absent when the petition was filed—a point the court found determinative.
Following the verdict, Dahat confirmed their intention to approach the Supreme Court, characterizing the HC ruling as “purely on a technical ground” and expressing confidence that the Top Court would entertain their challenge.
Alongside Gudadhe's petition, the Nagpur bench also dismissed similar election petitions targeting BJP MLAs Mohan Mate, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Deorao Bhongle, and Kiritkumar Bhangadia, citing identical procedural shortcomings
A detailed order is expected to be released soon.