Bombay High Court Rejects Plea Challenging 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections Over Alleged Bogus Voting

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday (June 25) dismissed a petition challenging elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly which were concluded in November last year, over alleged bogus voting.

The petition filed by one Chetan Ahire alleged that over 75 lakh votes were polled after the official closing time of polling (6 PM). He also claimed there were several discrepancies in almost 95 constituencies, wherein the number of votes polled and the number of votes counted, did not match.

A division bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Arif Doctor said the petition ‘wasted’ the court’s precious time as a whole day was spent in hearing the same.

“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,” Justice Kulkarni pronounced in open court.

A detailed order is yet to be made available.

The petition raised serious concerns regarding discrepancies in the voting process, including an unusually high percentage of votes cast in the final minutes and post-closing hours, as well as the lack of transparency in the recording of these votes.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Prakash Ambedkar, assisted by advocates Sandesh More and Hitendra Gandhi, had contended that nearly 75 lakh votes were polled during the last minutes and beyond the deadline of 6 PM.

“However, no transparent system of recording or verifying the authenticity of these votes was provided,” Ambedkar had submitted.

Further, the petition alleged that in nearly 95 constituencies, there has been a discrepancy in polled votes and the actual counted votes. It alleged that the Returning Officers (ROs) failed to adhere to the norms mentioned in the ‘Handbook’ issued by the ECI for conducting polls, which mandate the ROs to report such discrepancies to the ECI and suspend the right to declare the elections results, till the ECI gives any directions in this regard.

The petition, therefore, prayed for a declaration that the assembly election results are null and void since there have been violation of various norms.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and also the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) opposed the plea and raised questions on the tenability of the said petition.