Decision to cancel elections wrong: CM Devendra Fadnavis slams election commission

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday criticised the Election Commission for cancelling the municipal elections, calling the move “completely wrong”. He said several district collectors had already expressed their disagreement, and the state government would soon send a formal representation.

Speaking to reporters before leaving for his Nagar Parishad poll campaign, Fadnavis said the Commission had “misinterpreted the law”. He added, “Never in history has an election been postponed only because someone approached the court. I don’t understand the legal advice behind this decision. As per legal experts, elections are never cancelled in such cases.” Citing the example of Nilanga, he said, “In Nilanga, the entire process was completed. A candidate whose nomination was rejected had approached the court, but the election was not cancelled. Candidates still got full time to campaign and withdraw nominations. Postponing elections because someone held a party is absolutely wrong. The Commission is autonomous and has the authority to take decisions, but legally this postponement is completely incorrect. It is injustice to candidates who worked hard and prepared honestly. Their efforts have been wasted just a day before polling, and now they must repeat everything for the next 15 days.” He added that after the elections, the state government will submit a detailed representation to the Election Commission, urging that such postponements should not occur. “District collectors also communicated their views, but the Commission still took its own decision. As it is autonomous, we must accept it,” he noted.

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BJP confident of leading Nagar Parishad polls

Fadnavis claimed the BJP would emerge as the number one party. “I am not aware of any internal survey, but Mahayuti will win 70–75% of the seats,” he said.

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‘Rane vs Rane’ narrative incorrect

Responding to questions on the Konkan political situation, Fadnavis said the perception of a clash was “wrong”. “I stand behind both leaders, but I do not support what is wrong,” he stated.

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Wishes Sanjay Raut a speedy recovery

“It’s good that Sanjay Raut has recovered. They do their work, we do ours. No one is our enemy,” he said.

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Opposition avoiding defeat: Fadnavis

Taking a dig at Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis said they were staying away from campaigning “to avoid the stamp of defeat”. He added that leaders must stand with their workers, especially in difficult times.