In a significant political development, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court contesting the Lok Sabha election results of the Mumbai North-West constituency, where he lost to rival Shiv Sena candidate led by Eknath Shinde, Ravindra Waikar.
Kirtikar, who lost the election by a narrow margin of 48 votes, is challenging the legitimacy of Waikar’s victory, citing major discrepancies in the counting process. The petition seeks not only to nullify Waikar’s election but also declares Kirtikar as the duly elected Member of Parliament from the constituency.
The crux of Kirtikar’s argument is based on what he describes as “glaring and serious lapses” in the election procedures, particularly during the counting of votes. He reported that on the day of counting, he had immediately requested a recount due to these alleged discrepancies.
According to the petition, Kirtikar received 452,596 votes against Waikar’s 452,644. Kirtikar’s plea also highlights concerns over the improper handling of votes, including the acceptance of votes from 333 impersonators, which he argues significantly impacted the election outcome.
Furthermore, the petition accuses the election officials, particularly the returning officer, of “high-handed hastiness and palpable arbitrariness” during the vote counting process. Kirtikar has requested the court to review video recordings of the entire counting process to substantiate his claims.
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This is the second petition filed against Waikar’s election. Last month, Bharat Shah of the Hindu Samaj Party, also a candidate from the same constituency, lodged a similar complaint. Shah’s petition is still pending and has not yet been scheduled for hearing.
