Election officer rejects objection to Thane BJP candidate’s nomination papers

Thane election officer rejects MVA's Rajan Vichare's objection to BJP's Sanjay Kelkar's nomination, prompting plans for a high court appeal.

THANE: The Thane election officer on Wednesday rejected MVA candidate Rajan Vichare’s objection to Mahayuti’s Sanjay Kelkar’s nomination papers, alleging the BJP candidate for the Thane city constituency concealed information about criminal charges in his affidavit.

Election officer rejects objection to Thane BJP candidate’s nomination papers

Vichare had raised the objection during the scrutiny of the nomination papers on Wednesday. The hearing for this objection was held in the office of election officer Urmila Patil, who dismissed the objection without providing any reasons. Following this, Vichare’s lawyer, Sushma Mishra, indicated that they would approach the high court against the election officer’s decision to dismiss the objection without justification.

Vichare expressed his faith in the voters while speaking to the press. “If an individual has criminal charges against him and conceals that information, the voters will, ultimately, make the right decision.”

Kelkar was booked in FIR No. 186/2021 at Naupada Police Station under Section 188 (disobedience to an order issued by a public servant), Section 269 (unlawful or negligent acts), and Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

By renominating Kelkar from the prestigious constituency, the BJP has reposed its faith in the 2-term MLA, hoping for a hattrick. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the constituency to show his support, underscoring Kelkar’s significance and influence.

Traditionally a stronghold of Shiv Sena, the seat was won by Kelkar in 2014 after defeating Shiv Sena’s Ravindra Phatak by 12,588 votes. In 2019, Kelkar increased the victory margin to 19,424 votes, highlighting his growing popularity in the constituency that has 374,153 voters from diverse communities.