The upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections is riled up in controversies and legal matters. Eight people planning to contest the BMC elections have moved the Bombay High Court, claiming they were unfairly stopped from filing their nomination papers, reported The Indian Express.
In their petition, the candidates said Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar pressured the Returning Officer (RO) and police officials to reject their nomination forms for seats in South Mumbai’s Colaba area, the report added. The petitioners include Baban Govind Mahadik, Niraj Harising Rathod, Vaishali Nhanu Gawade, Mahabub Imam Hussain Maddanawar, Parichay Kishor Bhoir, Manoj Dhonduram More, Rakhsana Ahmad Shafik Shaikh and Margrate Da Costa.
They asked the court to order the State Election Commission and election officials to accept their nominations. They also sought action against the returning officer, including removal from duty and other punishment.
The High Court did not take up the matter for urgent hearing on Tuesday, but said it would hear the case at a later date.
Narwekar’s family member are contesting from wards 225, 226, and 227
Narwekar’s own family members including his sister-in-law Harshita Narwekar, brother Makarand Narwekar and cousin Gauravi Shivalkar are contesting from wards 225, 226 and 227, respectively, from BJP. All of these wards come under Rahul Narwekar’s Colaba assembly constituency.
Petitioners seek SEC inquiry
The petitioners also asked the court to direct the State Election Commission to conduct an inquiry over their complaints. They sought a detailed report, along with CCTV or video footage from the RO’s office for December 30.
They said they, along with other independent candidates from wards 224 to 227, had submitted their nomination forms with all required documents and security deposits to Returning Officer Krushna Jadhav. According to them, they had also received tokens before the 5 pm deadline on December 30, 2025.
Despite this, the petitioners alleged that the Returning Officer failed to carry out his legal duty and refused to accept their nomination forms, as well as those of several other candidates who wanted to contest the election. They claimed this was done under pressure from MLA Rahul Narwekar, who they said repeatedly entered the RO’s office that day.
Petitioners claim Narwekar ‘forced and directed’ RO, Police to not take their nomination forms
The petitioners further alleged that Narwekar pressured the Returning Officer and the police to reject their nomination forms, interfering with the election process by misusing his political position as Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. They also claimed that after waiting for hours, until around 8.30 pm, the police were instructed to force the candidates out of the office on the night of December 30.
They said their complaints to election authorities received no response. They also alleged that the interference was meant to help Narwekar’s close relatives, including his brother, sister-in-law and cousin, who were contesting from these wards, and to benefit his political party by preventing other candidates from filing nominations.
Narwekar has earlier rejected these allegations, calling them false and politically driven.
When the petitioners requested an urgent hearing before a bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A Ankhad, the High Court said the matter would be heard at a later stage.