The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea seeking to annul the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly election results over alleged voting irregularities.
The petition, filed by Mumbai resident Chetan Chandrakant Ahire and argued by Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar, questioned the validity of around 76 lakh votes reportedly cast after the 6 pm deadline. It alleged a lack of transparency and claimed a suspicious surge in late voting, raising doubts about the electoral process.
The bench of Justices GS Kulkarni and Arif Doctor, however, found no merit in the arguments, noting that similar voting trends in past elections, including the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, were never challenged. The court stated that unless there was clear evidence linking post-6 pm votes to any candidate’s victory, the allegations were baseless.
While dismissing the petition, the court refrained from imposing costs despite noting the significant time lost. The Election Commission’s counsel had also questioned the petitioner’s locus standi and the absence of victorious candidates in the case, arguments the court agreed with.
