Maharashtra: Court relief to government official who quit job to contest elections

Madavi then moved the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) for relief. The MAT, however, gave the government two weeks to respond.

Madavi then moved the HC, which finally stayed the September 11 order of the state government on Thursday. The HC bench comprising Justice Zaka Haq and Justice Pushpa Ganediwala also issued notice to the government.

“Now I will be able to stand for election,” Madavi told The Indian Express. Asked about the party and place of her contest she said, “I have been offered ticket by Congress for the Armori seat in Gadchiroli.”

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe confirmed that the party had given her the Armori nomination offer. “She is a very good officer and has good electoral potential. She will definitely be our choice,” Londhe said.

Madavi hails from Gadchiroli, where she was initially a teacher. During her stint as teacher, she also did a lot of social campaigns, including launching an organisation called Soudamini Soldiers to solve the problems of women.

She was also elected to Gadchiroli Municipal Council as Councillor In 2006. But she later decided to take up government job.

In 2009, she entered government service through Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) as District Project Officer for Natural Urban Livelihood Mission at Chandrapur. Madavi often courted trouble for what she describes as “not toeing the line of people’s representatives” and was transferred eleven times in the past ten years.

Asked about the pending inquiry, Madavi said, “there is no pending inquiry against me. If there was any, why wasn’t it specified in the order of September 11.”