SUPREME COURT REJECTS BJP MAN’S PETITION

NAGPUR: In a major blow to BJP’S Saoner candidate Sonba Musale the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere in the elec tion process and grant Musale any respite.

A division bench of justice Jasti Chelameswar and justice P C Ghose, while hearing the special leave petition filed by Musale, made it clear that the court was not inclined to allow any relief to him and interfere with the Bombay high court’s order issued on October 7.

Musale’s nomination form for the Saoner Assembly constitu ency in Nagpur was rejected by the returning officer (RO) fol lowing an objection raised by independent candidate Manish Mohod, charging that Musale was a government contractor with a subsisting contract, which dis qualifies him from contesting elections under section 9 (A) of the Representation of People (RP) Act. Musale had claimed that he had resigned from the firm a day before filing his nomination papers, but the RO pointed out that this was not reflected in the nomination form.

Musale had approached the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court against the rejection but no respite was granted at the hearing. The high court, after a detailed hearing, dismissed the petition and upheld the prelim inary objections raised by the government pleader. The apex court’s directives on Tuesday puts the BJP in a ticklish posi tion, and it has announced its support for the Shiv Sena can didate Vinod Jivtode, who is con testing against sitting MLA and Congress nominee Sunil Kedar