Nagpur/Akola:
A petition has been filed before the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court challenging the election of Sanjay Dhotre, minister of State for HRD Ministry, to the Lok Sabha.
The plea was filed by a resident of Akola, Dnyaneshwar Sultane, on July 8. The petitioner has said defective electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used and that there was a difference in the number of votes polled and those counted, which benefited Dhotre.
Dhotre won from Akola seat, defeating Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar by a margin of 2,75,596 votes in the Lok Sabha election held in April-May.
He has been elected to Parliament for the fourth time.
The petition also claimed that the poll officials did not adhere to provisions and regulations of election laws.
Counsel for the petitioner, Nihal Singh Rathod, said the returning officer has to ensure votes polled, as recorded in Form 17-C Part 1, match those counted from the EVM.
“If there is discrepancy of even a single vote, then the returning officer has to refer the matter to the Election Commission. He then ceases to have any authority to declare the result of the elections,” he said.
“Therefore, the election (of Dhotre) should be annulled and should be held afresh,” prayed the petitioner.
Rathod claimed he has filed similar petitions in the high court on behalf of the VBA with respect to Lok Sabha polls in Buldhana, Wardha, Gadchiroli, Bhanadara-Gondiya, Nagpur and Chandrapur.
