Fadnavis in Legal Trouble Over Assembly Election Win
Nagpur, April 19: In a notable development, the Bombay High Court on Thursday issued a notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis following a petition that challenges his 2024 assembly election victory from the Nagpur South West constituency.
The petition was filed by Congress leader Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, who alleges electoral malpractices and procedural lapses during the polls. Gudadhe, who was defeated by Fadnavis with a margin of 39,710 votes, has urged the court to nullify the Chief Minister’s election win.
Justice Pravin Patil, presiding over the case at the High Court’s Nagpur bench, has summoned Fadnavis to respond to the allegations by May 8. Although the Chief Minister is not required to appear personally, his legal team must file a reply to the petition.
The plea points to alleged violations of mandatory election procedures during the November 2024 assembly polls, where the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a commanding victory, winning 230 out of 288 seats. Following the results, Fadnavis was reinstated as Chief Minister, with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar assuming the roles of Deputy Chief Ministers.
In addition to the petition against Fadnavis, the court has also sent notices to BJP legislators Mohan Mate (Nagpur West) and Kirtikumar Bhangdia (Chimur, Chandrapur district) in response to similar election-related challenges.
The case has sparked wider interest, potentially casting a shadow over the integrity of the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, depending on the outcome of the legal proceedings.
