Lalit Kolhe, a former Jalgaon mayor and Shiv Sena leader, was on Friday declared elected from the multi-panel Ward 11 of the Jalgaon City Municipal Corporation, despite contesting the Maharashtra municipal corporation elections from prison. Kolhe is currently lodged in jail in connection with a fake call centre case. The results also marked a sweeping victory for his family, with his mother Sindhutai Kolhe winning from the same ward and his son Piyush Kolhe securing a seat from Ward 4. The outcome has drawn political attention as Kolhe remains an under-trial at the time of his electoral success.
Kolhe was arrested in October 2025 after Jalgaon police raided a farmhouse allegedly built on land owned by him. During the raid, police claimed to have uncovered a fake call centre operation that allegedly duped foreign nationals of lakhs of rupees. Investigators alleged that the proceeds of the fraud were converted into cryptocurrency. Kolhe and seven others were arrested in the case. He was initially lodged in Jalgaon jail and later transferred to Nashik jail. While in custody, Kolhe sought and obtained permission from a magistrate court to complete the nomination process for the councillor elections.
After the results were declared, Kolhe’s wife Sarita, also a Shiv Sena member, said the victory demonstrated strong public support. “He is in jail facing disgusting allegations, but the voters have broken through the shackles to show their love and loyalty towards him and our two family members who also got elected,” she said. Under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, only those convicted and sentenced to two years or more are barred from contesting elections, allowing under-trials to run. Kolhe’s bail plea, filed in December 2025 alleging political vendetta, was rejected. The court cited lack of licensing for the call centre, evidence of contact with foreign nationals, witness statements, and the seriousness of the offence. Kolhe was earlier associated with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena led by Raj Thackeray and was elected mayor in 2017.