PRIYANKA YOGESH GAVHANE Vs THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY AND OTHERS
Quick Summary: A big mix-up happened in the Paithan Municipal Council elections. Two candidates, Priyanka Gavhane and Sidharth Pardeshi, had their nominations rejected due to paperwork errors. The Bombay High Court at Aurangabad stepped in to sort things out.
Priyanka Yogesh Gavhane and Sidharth Gopal Pardeshi were both eager to run for the Paithan Municipal Council elections. Priyanka, a 22-year-old from Kaharwada, and Sidharth, a 34-year-old businessman from Pardeshipura, faced a major hurdle when their nominations were rejected due to incorrect paperwork.
The problem started when their nomination forms were accepted by the official in charge but later rejected by a higher authority on November 28, 2025. The issue was with the forms called Annexure-2, which had incorrect ward seat numbers. Priyanka was running for a reserved seat for women, and Sidharth for a general seat, but their forms had mixed up details.
"The higher authority found that the official in charge should have rejected the nomination," the decision noted.
Judge Arun R. Pedneker heard the case and decided on December 4, 2025, that the nominations should be reconsidered. The court recognized that the mix-up was a minor error and that the candidates should have been given a chance to correct it.
Due to the confusion, the election process was postponed. A new schedule was set, with the last date for withdrawal of nominations on December 10, 2025, and polling on December 20, 2025.
This case highlights how important it is for candidates to double-check their paperwork. The court's intervention ensured that the election process remained fair and gave the candidates a second chance.
With the corrected forms now accepted, Priyanka and Sidharth are back in the race. The court's decision underscores the importance of fair play in elections and the need for clear communication between candidates and election officials.
The court decided that the mistakes in the nomination forms were small and should have been fixed rather than leading to rejection. The elections were postponed to allow Priyanka and Sidharth to correct their forms and continue their candidacy.
