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What happened
The Bombay High Court dismissed a plea challenging uncontested victories in the ongoing Maharashtra municipal corporation polls. The court said election laws validate a candidate’s election when only one candidate remains in a ward. The bench reprimanded the petitioner for incorrect statements and warned of penalties. The petitioner sought a NOTA option in wards with unopposed candidates; 66 candidates won unopposed in the State, including 44 BJP, 19 Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde), and others from NCP (Ajit Pawar).
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Key insights
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Court position on unopposed wins: A candidate is validly elected unopposed in a ward when only one candidate remains, under the election laws.
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Court stance on intervention during elections: The court said it will not interfere in the election process and said the issue could be pursued once elections conclude.
Takeaways
The Bombay High Court left the unopposed municipal poll results undisturbed and declined to intervene during the ongoing election process.