Overview
- The bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad dismissed petitions seeking a court‑monitored probe into unopposed municipal ward results.
- The court held that declaring a sole remaining valid candidate elected unopposed is permissible under election law and said it would not interfere with the process.
- Petitions led by MNS leader Avinash Jadhav sought NOTA in unopposed contests and proposed reforms such as minimum vote‑share thresholds for such winners.
- Allegations of mass last‑day withdrawals—reported as about 453—and claims of coercion and returning‑officer violations were noted by the court but found unsupported by solid evidence.
- The State Election Commission had already directed inquiries on January 2–3 and instructed that declarations be withheld, with unopposed results expected to be announced alongside counting on January 16.