BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad
Credit: X/@ganpatgaikwad9
Mumbai: In what turned out to be useful for the ruling Maha Yuti, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad - who is in jail in an attempt to murder case - voted in the Maharashtra Legislative Council election amid severe objections from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi.
Gaikwad is a three-time MLA from Kalyan East seat in the Thane district, which neighbours Mumbai.
On 2 February, Gaikwad opened fire inside the Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar in Thane district and injured Mahesh Gaikwad and Rahul Patil, who are workers of the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Gaikwad was arrested by the Thane police.
As of now he is in judicial custody and lodged in the Taloja prison.
The opposition MVA comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) raised strong objections for allowing Gaikwad to vote.
However, senior BJP leader and MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said: “Gaikwad is voting as per rules”.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar and his counterpart in the Council Ambadas Danve came down heavily on the Maha Yuti dispensation and the Election Commission. “This reflects the bias of the Election Commission,” said Danve.
NCP (SP) leader and former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said: “When I was in jail, I was not allowed to vote (in the June 2022 Rajya Sabha and Maharashtra Legislative Council polls.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said that allowing Gaikwad to vote is a gross misuse of power. “In the past (then NCP MLAs) Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik (who were in jail) were not allowed to vote,” he said.
Congress leader Pradnya Satav too took objection to Gaikwad’s voting. Satav’s official representative Abhijit Vanzari, in a letter to the Returning Officer said Gaikwad is in judicial custody and cannot vote under Section 62(5) of Representation of the People Act, 1951. “We hear Gaikwad will be coming to Vidhan Bhavan to vote. Please stop him from doing so illegally… and protect constitutional values without coming under any pressure. Or else, we will have to take legal recourse,” the letter said.