Staff Reporter:
ELECTIONS of as many as seven newly-elected Members of Parliament from Vidarbha have been challenged before Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court by the defeated candidates. The election petitions were filed Monday which was last day before the statutory limit of 45 days after the declaration of results. Elections of Union Minister and Nagpur MP Nitin Gadkari, Ramtek MP Krupal Tumane, Bhandara-Gondia MP Sunil Mendhe, Gadchiroli-Chimur MP Ashok Nete, Wardha MP Ramdas Tadas, Buldana MP Pratap Jadhav and Chandrapur MP Suresh alias Balu Dhanorkar have been questioned by the defeated candidates by way of election petitions. As many as three petitions have been filed against Nitin Gadkari including one by Congress candidate Nana Patole.
Vanchit Aghadi candidate Sagar Dabrase and a voter have also filed election petitions. In most of the election petitions, the defeated candidates have charged the elected candidates with suppressing vital details in their affidavits, concealing details about their properties, resorting to corrupt electoral practice including exceeding the stipulated expenditure limit.
Many petitions have also questioned the veracity of results and also alleged that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were tampered, manipulated and pre-programmed to arrive at certain results. The petitioners have demanded to annul the elections of elected candidates. There is a lengthy procedure prescribed to entertain election petition. The petitions are assigned to single judge benches and they have to take up this work in addition to their present assignment.