The Bombay High Court on Monday declined an urgent hearing on a petition filed by Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) spokesperson Susie Shah, challenging the civic poll nomination of Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar.
The division bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), scheduled for January 15, are just days away. The court said the matter would be heard after the polling date, effectively ruling out any pre-election relief.
Shah, represented by advocate Kalpesh Joshi, alleged that Pednekar deliberately concealed details of criminal cases pending against her while submitting her nomination and affidavit for contesting from Ward 199 in Central Mumbai.
The plea accused Pednekar of suppressing information about five FIRs registered at various police stations in Mumbai, some of which relate to alleged fraud during her tenure as mayor, particularly in the COVID-19 period.
The petition urged the court to direct the Returning Officer to declare Pednekar’s nomination “illegal, invalid and improper” and to reject her candidature outright for violating disclosure norms under the Representation of the People Act and the election code.
“Pednekar has grossly misused the electoral process by submitting a false and misleading affidavit. She has no moral right to contest the election,” the petition reads.
Among the FIRs cited in the plea is one connected to alleged irregularities in the procurement of body bags and other medical supplies during the pandemic.
Pednekar, a key face of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction, has yet to issue a public response to the petition. Her candidacy is seen as politically significant as the UBT faction seeks to consolidate its influence in Mumbai’s civic body amid an intense battle with the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.
The outcome of the BMC polls, traditionally a Sena stronghold, is expected to have broader ramifications for both factions ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
