A petition has been moved before the Bombay High Court calling for a court-supervised investigation into the unusually high number of candidates being elected unopposed in the forthcoming Municipal Corporation elections in Maharashtra, raising concerns about the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
The plea urges the court to direct the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) to carry out a time-bound and independent inquiry into what has been described as a “suspicious mass withdrawal” of nomination papers by candidates at the final stage of the election process. In effect, the petitioner is seeking judicial oversight to examine why a large number of candidates abruptly exited the race, resulting in uncontested victories.
Filed by Thane-based Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Avinash Jadhav through advocate Asim Sarode, the petition also presses for amendments to the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations Act, 1949. It proposes the introduction of a provision that would require candidates who are elected unopposed to secure a minimum percentage of votes, arguing that automatic victories without a contest undermine democratic principles.
According to details cited in the plea, a total of 69 candidates across Maharashtra were elected unopposed on the final day of withdrawal. Of these, 44 candidates were from the BJP, 22 from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, two from the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP, and one from the Islamic Party, figures that the petitioner claims warrant closer scrutiny.
The petition further highlights that as many as 453 candidates, accounting for nearly 20 per cent of all contestants, withdrew their nominations on January 2, which was the last permissible day for withdrawal. In the aftermath, opposition parties alleged that several candidates were coerced or financially induced to step aside, leading to a distorted electoral outcome.
It also notes that the SEC itself had taken cognisance of these allegations and ordered an inquiry into reports of unopposed elections in connection with the civic polls scheduled for January 15, 2026. This acknowledgment by the election authority, the petitioner argues, strengthens the case for a more rigorous and transparent probe.
Further, the plea points out that through orders issued on January 2 and January 3, the SEC had instructed that the results of uncontested elections should not be formally declared until the inquiry into alleged forced withdrawals was concluded. However, the petition claims that in several municipal wards, returning officers failed to follow these directions.
Alleging a “dubious role” played by election officials, the plea asserts that many of the withdrawals were not voluntary but occurred due to pressure, threats, or unlawful inducements, thereby compromising the integrity of the electoral process.
The matter is expected to be listed for hearing before the Bombay High Court in the coming days, where the court will decide whether to intervene and order a monitored investigation into the allegations.
