Maharashtra MLA Nana Patole seeks impeachment of state election chief; Speaker turns down request

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar on Wednesday turned down the demand made by former Speaker and senior Congress MLA Nana Patole to initiate impeachment proceedings against the state election commissioner (SEC) of Maharashtra for the “chaos and irregularities” surrounding the recent local body elections in the state.

In his ruling, Narvekar said that Patole’s demand is out of the scope of the state Assembly and not in line with the recent Supreme Court judgment relating to the impeachment of a high court judge.

Patole accused the SEC of “strangling democracy in broad daylight” and claimed the confusion and distress among voters were the SEC’s responsibility. He referred to Article 243 of the Constitution, arguing that if the irregularities are acknowledged, impeachment proceedings must be initiated. Patole argued that since the chief minister himself acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the irregularities, impeachment proceedings must be initiated under Article 243 of the Constitution.