Shocking! South Mumbai Candidates Prevented From Filing BMC Election Nomination Forms

Maharashtra has registered the record number of candidates – never witnessed ever before – unable to file their official party nominations for the forthcoming civic elections scheduled for January 15. A second record set was the number of candidates (belonging to the ruling Mahayuti) being elected unopposed already and yet questions of political impropriety, unethical behavior, and unscrupulous use of power remains to be answered. Consider Mumbai, where candidates belonging to the Congress, RPI and AAP parties allegedly were physically prevented from filing respective nominations from the south Mumbai citadel controlled by Speaker of the Maharashtra state legislature Rahul Narvekar whose sister, brother and sister-in-law are BJP candidates for civic corporator seats located within his assembly constituency. Narvekar has denied any wrongdoing or even being heavy handed with a far more senior politician from the Congress party Haribhau Rathod. And yet, viral videos appear to belie his averments. The State Election department was compelled to direct BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani to submit his report regarding alleged incidents in the prestigious south Mumbai constituency. Allegations also abound about Returning Officer Krishna Jadhav having served as Officer on Special Duty to erstwhile CM Eknath Shinde, further queering the political pitch against the expected level playing field. RPI candidate from seat number 227 (held by Narvekar’s own brother) Vaishali Gawde says she was physically prevented by sub-inspector of police, S Shinde attached to the JJ Police station from submitting her candidature form tantamount to a case under POSH. Is democracy in Maharashtra’s posh Mumbai on the ebb?