Latest news with #ChetanAhire
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Court was expected to provide information": Prakash Ambedkar slams Bombay HC judgement on validity of 2024 Maharashtra polls
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 26 (ANI): Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Thursday criticised the Bombay High Court's dismissal of a petition challenging the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election results. He said that while the court has a duty to examine such matters, it appeared to have overlooked the concerns raised. The petition, backed by Ambedkar, alleged discrepancies in the voting process, including votes cast after the official deadline. Earlier, Bombay High Court dismissed Chetan Ahire's petition, alleging bogus voting in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Addressing the media on Thursday, Ambedkar, who argued the case in the court, said, 'Chetan Ahire had filed an important issue regarding the conduct. It was about checking whether this election was free and fair or not.' He added that Ahire had filed a Right to Information (RTI) request and asked for data regarding the polls, but the RTI reply said that the information was not available. 'To get information whether it (election) was done according to the law, we had asked those in Delhi to file an RTI. The reply received from RTI was that the information we requested is not available. On the issue of 76 lakhs votes cast after 6 pm, which was also a question taken up by the Bombay HC, the VBA chief said, 'Once the time is up, if you want to vote, slips are distributed. According to the Election Commission's press note, 76 lakh votes were cast. Tell us whether those slips are available. The Election Commission has made a law; all this is binding. Did the polling officer give information?' On the petition filed in the court, he added that instead of considering it as a writ petition, the court took up the matter as an election petition and gave the verdict. 'So we did not get a (RTI) reply, then this petition was filed. The main point was that the legal obligations that require giving information... If the parties and the court are to give information to the election committee, there is a situation where this is a writ petition, but the court considered it an election petition and considering it as an election petition, they gave such a verdict,' he said. He further added, 'The Election Commission's press note was attached to the petition, and the Loksatta article was can we believe this news? It has no strength, the judge said.' 'There are reports that the voting done and the counting of votes do not match in 96 places. When asked through RTI, it was said that this information is not available. Whether it is in accordance with the law was asked, but there is no answer to this question in the judgment,' Ambedkar said. On the judgment, Ambedkar said, 'The court was expected to provide information, but unfortunately, the right to information will be obstructed by this. Examination is the duty of the court. But the court did not see it' He further said that two doubts arise here, that those who organised the election may have pressed the button to cast a vote or they may have received instructions from someone. 'This is not our personal dispute. If there is no document of voting after the time has expired, two doubts arise. Those who organised the election may have pressed the button, or they may have received instructions,' he said. The Bombay HC on Wednesday dismissed a petition that alleged bogus voting and had sought to set aside the results of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. A Division Bench comprising Justice GS Kulkarni and Justice Arif S Doctor rejected the petition filed by Mumbai resident Chetan Ahire, who had challenged the validity of the election results based on votes allegedly polled after the stipulated 6 pm deadline. Pronouncing its order after reserving it earlier this week, the court said: 'We have no manner of doubt that this writ petition needs to be summarily rejected. It is accordingly rejected. The hearing of this petition has practically taken the whole day, leaving aside our urgent cause list, and for such reason, the petition would certainly warrant dismissal with costs; however, we refrain from doing so.' (ANI)
News18
6 days ago
- Politics
- News18
‘Whole Day Of Court Wasted': Bombay HC Trashes Plea Challenging Maharashtra Poll Results
Opposition had raised questions over Maharashtra Assembly polls and ECI, alleging voter fraud in elections. However, the Bombay HC has rejected a plea challenging the poll results. In a major setback to the Opposition, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea challenging the results of last year's Maharashtra Assembly polls, alleging bogus voting. The petition was filed by one Chetan Ahire, alleging that over 75 lakh votes were polled after the official closing time fixed by the ECI (6 pm). The petitioner also claimed that there were a lot of discrepancies in nearly 95 seats, where the data of the votes polled and counted did not tally, Live Law reported. What Did The Court Say? A division bench of Justice Girish Kulkarni and Justice Arif Doctor slammed the petitioner, stating that it 'wasted" the court's precious time. 'We have no manner of doubt that this petition needs to be rejected. Thus, this petition is rejected. The whole day of this Court was wasted while hearing this petition. We were of the view that costs should be imposed on them but we refrain from doing so," Live Law quoted Justice Kulkarni as saying. The decision comes as a setback to the Congress-led Opposition in Maharashtra, which had alleged voter fraud in the polls. Top leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, had raked up the matter in Lok Sabha, alleging forgery by the ruling party. The petition raised serious concerns about problems in the voting process, such as a surprisingly large number of votes being cast in the final minutes and even after polling officially ended. It also pointed out that there was not enough transparency in how these votes were recorded. Advocate Prakash Ambedkar, representing the petitioner along with lawyers Sandesh More and Hitendra Gandhi, argued that nearly 75 lakh votes were cast in the final minutes and even after the 6 pm deadline. He said, 'But there was no clear or transparent system in place to record or verify whether these votes were genuine." The petition sought that the Assembly election results be declared null and void, citing violation of various norms. The Election Commission of India and the Chief Electoral Officer also opposed the plea and questioned the tenability of the petition. First Published: June 25, 2025, 20:16 IST
