The Mahavikas Aghadi government has received another shock again by the Mumbai High Court. The decision of the Mumbai Sessions Court has been upheld by the High Court. Nawab Malik has been denied permission for Rajya Sabha elections. A fresh petition has been filed seeking removal of the bail issue in the petition seeking permission to vote only. A new hearing with a new petition will be held shortly.
Meanwhile, Justice Prakash Naik has earlier refused to hear Anil Deshmukh's plea. Therefore, at present only the petition of Nawab Malik was heard. Anil Deshmukh's future of voting depended on this result. If Malik had got permission, Anil Deshmukh would have taken the verdict and appealed to other judges. But since Nawab Malik was denied permission, Anil Deshmukh will not be able to vote now.
A special PMLA court in Mumbai on Thursday rejected the pleas filed by Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh seeking a day's bail to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections to be held on Friday.
An urgent hearing was held in the Mumbai High Court today. During the hearing, the High Court clarified that as a prisoner, you cannot be granted bail. You will need to apply to the appropriate court. But with the special powers of the High Court, we can only allow you to go to the polls as a prisoner, but such a demand needs to come from you through a petition. The time has been fixed by the High Court for the same hearing. Therefore, the lawyers of Nawab Malik will remove the condition of bail and will file a fresh petition. The matter will be heard shortly.
Nawab Malik's petition will now be heard again in the afternoon session with a new demand. ED had arrested Minorities Development Minister Malik on February 23 over a property deal allegedly linked to the aides of gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
In the Rajya Sabha polls for six seats from Maharashtra, every vote is crucial for the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), of which the NCP is a constituent. After more than two decades, the state will witness a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls as there are seven candidates in the fray for the six seats. The ruling Shiv Sena has fielded two candidates, its MVA allies NCP and Congress have nominated one candidate each, while the opposition BJP has put up three candidates.