Aurangabad, Jan 28:
The hearing on the petition filed by former Zilla Parishad president Devyani Dongaonkar will be held on January 30. The returning officer and additional collector Bhanudas Palve had adjourned the meeting on January 3. The same meeting was called on January 4. Dongaonkar has challenged this decision.
Devyani Dongaonkar, Anuradha Chavan and Meena Shelke had contested the January 3 ZP presidential election. Anuradha Chavan and Sena's Monali Rathore had voted for Devyani Dongaonkar by raising their hands. Later, Rathore had also voted for Meena Shelke by raising her hand. Meena Shelke got 28 votes. Therefore, the returning officer needed to declare Dongaonkar the winner. The petition states that even if Rathore's vote had been disqualified for both the candidates, Dongaonkar would have secured 29 votes and Shelke 28 votes. Hence Dongaonkar would have won by a vote. Adv Siddheshwar Thombre represented Dongaonkar, adv V D Salunke represented Shelke, chief public prosecutor D R Kale-Patil represented the government.