It seems that corporator Reshma bhosale’s candidature for elections is always dangerous for officers . Last time after winning municipal election she had to face property tax receipt forgery case. FIR was lodged against her along with her husband MLA Anil Bhosale and some officers of pune municipal corporation. This time even after high court decision in her candidature case dust doesn’t seem to be settled down. Facts placed before high court in this case raise more doubts and may be troublesome for some officers.
In this case counsel appearing for the Election Commission submitted that as the Returning Officer was not decisive as to whether she should accept the nomination paper of Reshma Bhosale as independent or as a candidate belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP),she sought guidance from the Election Commission through the Commissioner of Corporation. However actually on Saturday i.e. on 4th February itself the returning officer of Panel No. 7 had rejected Reshma Bhosale's nomination as a candidate of the ( BJP). The reason cited was that Bhosale submitted her nomination as a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate, but submitted A and B forms of BJP.
It was also submitted in High court that returning officer in her communication to chief election officer had clearly mentioned and indicated that she had accepted the nomination paper of both the candidates, Satish Bahirat and Reshma Bhosale as valid as independent candidates.
In this case HC observed that once returning officer had taken decision to accept nomination paper there was no occasion for the Returning Officer to pass a separate order accepting the same nomination paper twice.
The big question is, once decision was taken why would returning officer seek further guidance from higher authorities. If she wanted any guidance she would have asked it before rejecting Reshma Bhosale’s claim for candidature of BJP on 4th February itself. On that day she had heard rival arguments and had rejected Reshma Bhosale’s claim then how come they say that returning officer was not decisive?
Now there are two possibilities that chief election office kunal kumar sought guidance from state election commission .First possibility is that returning officer Vijaya pangarkar even after decision was taken asked for the further guidance from state election commission through kunal kumar and then changed her decision of declaring Reshma Bhosale as independent candidate. And second possibility is Pune municipal commissioner kunal kumar on his own sought guidance from state election commission and then asked returning officer vijay pangarakar to change her decision.
In both the cases favouritism and abuse of election process is there.Kunal Kumar while speaking to media had described this case as unique case. However there was nothing unique in that . In every elections hundreds of candidates file their nominations expecting nomination from parties. But when they don’t get AB form their candidature is declared as independent. Reshma bhosale’s case was the same. The only unique thing in it was she had BJP’s AB form in hand. That AB form compelled all officers to abuse the process of election.
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