Bombay High Court Directs Shiv Sena MP to Respond to Election Petition

The Bombay High Court has ordered Shiv Sena member Ravindra Waikar to respond to a petition challenging his election as MP. Amol Kirtikar, who narrowly lost the election, filed the petition alleging discrepancies during vote counting. The court will hear the matter further on October 3.

The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Ravindra Waikar, a member of the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, to file an affidavit in response to a petition contesting his election as an MP. The petition was filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar, who claims the election was marred by irregularities.

Kirtikar lost the election by just 48 votes, polling 4,52,596 to Waikar's 4,52,644. He filed the petition in July, asking the court to set aside Waikar's election, alleging serious lapses by Election Commission officials. The court issued a summons to Waikar, who appeared before a single bench of Justice Sandeep Marne on Monday.

In his plea, Kirtikar accused the EC of accepting void votes cast by 333 impersonators, which he claims materially affected the election outcome. He also requested video recordings of the counting process for further review. The next hearing is scheduled for October 3.

(With inputs from agencies.)