The Bombay High Court today (December 19) dismissed a petition filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar challenging the win of rival Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Kirtikar in his election petition had sought the HC to set aside Waikar's election as the member of Parliament (MP) from Mumbai North-West constituency and to declare the same as null and void.
He also sought to be declared as duly elected from the said constituency. A single bench of Justice Sandeep Marne said the petition is dismissed. Kirtikar, belonging to the Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by Uddhav Thackeray, in his plea, claimed that on the counting da,y he filed an application seeking a recount of the votes as there was a discrepancy.
He had lost to Waikar, of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, by a narrow margin of 48 votes in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier this year. While Waikar got around 4,52,644 votes, Kirtikar got 4,52,596 votes.
"The Election Petitioner (Kirtikar) is aggrieved on account of the improper reception of void votes cast by 333 impersonators in place of genuine voters, along with breach of rules/orders, pertaining to the counting process, by ECI officials, which has materially affected the outcome of the election results," the plea said.
It further alleged that the returning officer showed high-handed hastiness and palpable arbitrariness at the time of the counting of votes. Kirtikar also sought the court to summon the video recordings of the entire counting process while hearing his plea.