Pune: MP Amol Kolhe’s Nomination Upheld Amidst Objection Scare
Shirur, 27th April 2024: Amol Kolhe, the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) from Shirur representing the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, breathed a sigh of relief on Friday as the returning officer, Ajay More, upheld the validity of his nomination.
The scare arose when Aftab Anwar Shaikh, a candidate from the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA), raised objections to Kolhe’s nomination affidavit, alleging the omission of details regarding an FIR filed against him in Pune.
Shaikh contended that Kolhe’s submission of inaccurate information in his affidavit constituted a misleading act toward both the Election Commission and the public. Consequently, he urged for Kolhe’s nomination to be rendered invalid in accordance with the stipulated regulations.
Following a thorough assessment of the objections raised by Shaikh, alongside the pertinent guidelines outlined in the Returning Officer (RO) handbook and Section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Ajay More, the returning officer, ruled against the plea to disqualify Kolhe’s candidacy.
Explaining his decision, More underscored that while the provision of erroneous information in the affidavit could not serve as immediate grounds for disqualification, it remained subject to future scrutiny and challenge.
Kolhe, in response, reiterated that he possessed a character certificate from the Pune police, which notably made no mention of any pending FIR against him.
