A social worker and aspiring political candidate in Mumbai has taken legal action after his nomination for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections was rejected. The case highlights allegations of bias and procedural malpractice during the filing process.
Court Appeal Filed Against Returning Officer
Mohd Anwar Abdulla Sheikh, a 48-year-old representing the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party, filed an appeal in the City Civil Court against the Returning Officer (RO). The appeal challenges the RO's decision to disqualify his candidacy for Ward No. 119, Hariyali Village in Vikhroli. The court has directed the Returning Officer and other concerned parties to appear before it on Tuesday at 11 am.
In his plea, Sheikh stated he is not alone in facing such treatment. He claimed multiple candidates encountered similar problems, with nearly identical grievances. Notably, S-Ward, under this particular RO, saw the highest number of rejections, totaling nearly 34 candidates. The plea argued that while one candidate might make a mistake or falsely claim malpractice, it is unlikely that dozens would falsely state the same facts.
Chaotic Nomination Process Alleged
Sheikh described a "tumultuous and egregiously unorganised" environment at the nomination centre on December 30, 2025. After receiving his party ticket on short notice, he arrived to find a scene of "pandemonium" due to a lack of crowd management. According to the appeal, Sheikh was "involuntarily propelled forward" by the crowd directly to the Returning Officer.
At that moment, he informed the RO that his form still required some signatures and details to be filled. Sheikh alleged the RO assured him he would have time to complete it and issued him a token. However, instead of allowing him to finalize the document on the spot, the RO handed him a notice for a scrutiny session the following day.
Alleged Disparity in Treatment During Scrutiny
The core of the appeal focuses on events during the scrutiny session on December 31, 2025. Sheikh claimed that while his corrected form was rejected, other candidates were permitted to rectify similar minor defects. The plea specifically cited the case of another candidate who was allegedly allowed to fill out and resubmit an entirely new nomination form after her initial submission was found to have missing signatures and blank sections.
Sheikh argued that his rejection for "incomplete signatures" violates the Representation of the People Act. This Act prohibits the rejection of nominations for defects that are not of a "substantial character." He contended the error was a remediable technical omission that should have been overlooked or corrected immediately, as was done for others.
The outcome of Tuesday's court hearing could have implications for the electoral process in the ward and sets a precedent for how similar technical rejections are handled. It raises questions about the consistency and fairness of the nomination scrutiny process for the BMC polls.
