The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President, Harshvardhan Sapkal, has urged the State Election Commission to file a criminal case against State Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Sapkal accused Narwekar of breaching the Model Code of Conduct by allegedly using his position to intimidate Opposition candidates and involving government staff in his relatives’ election campaigns.
The issue revolves around the nomination process for Municipal Corporation elections in the Colaba constituency, where Narwekar’s brother, sister, and sister-in-law have filed nominations as BJP candidates. Sapkal claimed that Narwekar, during the filing process, used police personnel to intimidate Opposition candidates, obstruct the nomination submission process, and influence the administration against Opposition filings.
Sapkal criticized Narwekar’s actions, stating that obstructing the electoral process in such a manner is a mockery of democracy. He also alleged a significant misuse of government resources, with around 70 officers and employees from the Speaker’s office actively participating in the election campaign for Narwekar’s relatives.
Expressing concerns about the transparency of the upcoming polls, Sapkal called for immediate disciplinary action and the registration of cases against the government employees involved. He emphasized the need for the State Election Commission to ensure fair and fearless elections and urged decisive action against Narwekar’s behavior, which he described as undermining democracy.
