02 January,2026 05:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Congress has urged the SEC to take strict action against Rahul Narwekar. File Pic
Ahed of the BMC Election 2026, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Harshvardhan Sapkal on Friday asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to register a criminal case against State Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar for an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), reported the IANS.
In a letter to State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare, Sapkal accused the Narwekar of misusing his constitutional position to influence the municipal corporation election process, the news agency reported.
The controversy relates to the nomination process for the Municipal Corporation elections in the Colaba constituency, covering Wards 225, 226 and 227.
Sapkal alleged that Narwekar was personally present at the nomination centre around 5 pm and used police personnel to intimidate Opposition candidates who were filing nominations against his family members, as per the IANS.
Rahul Narwekar's brother Makrand Narwekar, sister Gauravi Shivalkar, and sister-in-law Harshada Narwekar have filed their nomination papers as BJP candidates from the same constituency, according to the IANS.
Sapkal claimed that the Speaker pressured officials to delay or reject Opposition nominations, thereby obstructing the legal electoral process.
"For a person holding such a high constitutional office to obstruct the electoral process is a mockery of democracy," Sapkal said in his letter to the Election Commission, reported the IANS.
The Congress leader further alleged large-scale misuse of government resources, claiming that around 70 officers and employees from the speaker's office were involved in campaigning for Narwekar's relatives, as per the IANS.
He demanded disciplinary action and criminal cases against the officials for violating service rules and election norms.
Raising concerns about the fairness of the upcoming polls, Sapkal urged the SEC to take strict action.
He also called for an immediate investigation into the conduct of Speaker Rahul Narwekar and the police officials present at the nomination centres, stressing that the Election Commission must ensure free, fair and transparent elections in Maharashtra.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged serious irregularities in the BMC Election 2026 nomination process in Mumbai's Colaba area, accusing Maharashtra Assembly Speaker and BJP MLA Rahul Narwekar of interfering in the electoral process and misusing official machinery.
Addressing a press conference, AAP leaders claimed that the party's Ward 227 candidate, Margaret Da Costa, was unlawfully prevented from filing her nomination papers despite being present inside the Returning Officer's (RO) premises well before the stipulated deadline of 5 pm. The party described the incident as a "grave subversion of democratic norms" and alleged that due process was deliberately ignored.
(with IANS inputs)
