Nagpur, Apr 17 (PTI): The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Thursday issued notice to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a poll petition challenging his 2024 win from the Nagpur South West assembly seat.
The poll petition was filed in January by Congress' Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, who had lost to Fadnavis by a margin of 39,710 votes.
In the plea, Gudadhe alleged procedural lapses and corrupt practices and had sought that the HC declare Fadnavis' win "null and void".
Justice Pravin Patil took up the plea for hearing in his chamber on Thursday and issued notice to the respondent (Fadnavis).
"Justice Pravin Patil issued summons (notice) to CM Fadnavis returnable on May 8," Gudadhe's lawyer Pavan Dahat told PTI.
On the next date, the chief minister's legal representative will have to appear in court and respond to the petition.
Several mandatory provisions were not followed during the polls held in November last year, Gudadhe's lawyers Dahat and AB Moon claimed.
The Mahayuti swept the assembly polls, winning 230 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, following which Fadnavis became CM.
Meanwhile, the High Court also issued summons (notices) to BJP MLA Mohan Mate from Nagpur West and Kirtikumar Bhangdia from Chimur seat in Chandrapur district in similar election petitions.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
