Bombay high court issues notice to Devendra Fadnavis over alleged irregularities in 2024 Maharashtra election

The Bombay high court on Thursday issued a notice to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in a poll petition challenging his 2024 win from the Nagpur South West assembly seat.

The notice, issued by the Nagpur bench of the high court, has to be responded to on May 8. The summons were issued regarding the poll petition filed in January by Congress leader Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, who lost to Fadnavis by a margin of 39,710 votes.

In the plea, Gudadhe alleged procedural lapses and corrupt practices and had sought that the HC declare Fadnavis' win "null and void," PTI reported.

The matter landed on the bench of Justice Pravin Patil, who took up the plea for hearing in his chamber on Thursday and issued notice to Fadnavis.

"Justice Pravin Patil issued summons (notice) to CM Fadnavis returnable on May 8," Gudadhe's lawyer Pavan Dahat told PTI.

Will Devendra Fadnavis have to appear before the court?

According to a PTI report, Devendra Fadnavis doesn't need to personally appear before the court on the next date. But the chief minister's legal representative will have to appear in court and respond to the petition. Vinodrao Gudadhe's lawyers, Pavan Dahat and AB Moon, have claimed that several mandatory provisions were not followed during the state assembly polls held in November last year.

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar's NCP, swept the assembly elections. The alliance won 230 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, with the BJP winning 132 seats. Shiv Sena and NCP won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. Following the win, Devendra Fadnavis became the Maharashtra CM while Shinde and Pawar were sworn in as his deputies.

Meanwhile, the high court also issued summons notices to BJP MLA Mohan Mate from Nagpur West and Kirtikumar Bhangdia from the Chimur seat in Chandrapur district in similar election petitions, PTI reported.