Amid the ongoing Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections, state Minister Nawab Malik and former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh have moved the Supreme Court (SC), seeking permission to go and vote in the MLC election.
Both the politicians, who are currently in jail, have challenged the Bombay HC verdict passed on Friday, denying them permission to go out of jail to vote.
Their counsels have sought urgent hearing and the SC is likely to hear the matter today at 12 PM.
Passing a detailed order on rejecting pleas of the NCP leaders, the Bombay HC said, "It is not inclined to accede to the broad proposition that permitting the persons (who are otherwise not qualified to vote in the election) strengthens the democracy."
Justice NJ Jamadar in his 23-page judgment has said that in order to maintain purity of electoral process, prohibition of certain participants is required to strengthen the democratic principles.
Eleven candidates are in fray for ten seats in the biennial Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections to be held on June 20, setting up for a close fight between the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance’s Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the tenth seat.
