Speaker Rahul Narwekar rejects discussion on Pune, Chandrapur LS by polls

Rahul Narwekar/ File Photo

Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's request for the state's stance on holding by elections in the Pune and Chandrapur Lok Sabha constituencies was denied by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.

Chavan raised the issue, citing a Bombay High Court directive urging the Election Commission of India (EC) to hold the by-election for the Pune Lok Sabha seat as soon as possible. He emphasised the importance of not leaving the constituency unrepresented for an extended period and inquired about the Maharashtra government's position on the matter.

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Chavan sought clarity on the state's approval, which is critical for the election process, insisting on a response from the treasury bench. Speaker Narwekar, however, declined the request, citing restrictions on discussing developments in other constitutional bodies.

"The directives on conducting the by-elections fall under the jurisdiction of other constitutional bodies," Narwekar clarified. As a result, this assembly is unable to hold discussions about those developments."

Sughosh Joshi, a resident of Pune, filed a petition challenging the Election Commission's decision to call off the by election following the death of sitting BJP MP Bapat on March 29. This petition led to the most recent order from the High Court.

The Election Commission's justification for not holding the by-election in Pune was hailed by a division bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Kamal Khata as "bizarre and wholly unreasonable." Notwithstanding the significance of Pune constituency representation, the court underscored the EC's emphasis on getting ready for the Lok Sabha elections of 2024.

"In any parliamentary democracy, governance is done by elected representatives who are the voices of people. If the representative is no more, another must be put in place. People cannot go unrepresented. That is wholly unconstitutional and is a fundamental anathema to our constitutional structure," the court noted, reported PTI.

Furthermore, the passing on May 30 of Congress MP Suresh, also known as Balu Dhanorkar, made the Chandrapur-Wani-Arni byelection necessary.

Reactions to HC verdict

According to PTI, the Congress referred to the Bombay High Court's decision as a smear against the poll panel and the BJP, which is a constituent of the ruling coalition. Vice-president of the Maharashtra Congress Mohan Joshi said, "It is a big rap for the Election Commission and the BJP, which was avoiding the bypoll as it fears defeat."

Prashant Jagtap, the president of the NCP (Sharad Pawar group) Pune city unit, praised the court's decision and agreed with Joshi that the BJP was avoiding a byelection for the Lok Sabha seat because the party did not want to lose again following its loss in the earlier this year byelection to the Kasba assembly constituency in Pune city.