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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai: In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday. A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his...

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai : In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday.   A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his lawyer Sharad V. Natu, seeking different reliefs.   These included alleged serious irregularities in the functioning of the MCA and challenging the continuation of the Administrator for a prolonged period pending the elections. The matter was highlighted in detail by  ‘ The Perfect Voice’   on April 21.   Strong Observations In its order uploaded today, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi noted the petitioner’s contentions that the Administrator, Dr. Rumi F. Beramji was appointed for only one year, and that period is over.   “It should be the endeavour of the State to implement the various provisions of the Act, that is, the Maharashtra Acupuncture System of Therapy Act, 2015. Holding of elections and formation of the council as per Section 3 of the said Act should be adhered to by the State Government and it cannot be then postponed in infinity,” said the court.   Accordingly, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi directed the state government, through the Medical Education & Drugs Department (MEDD) to conduct the MCA elections within a period of three months.   Prolonged Tenure Among other things, the petitioner had termed the appointment and prolonged tenure of former MCA Chairman Dr. Rumi F. Beramji as “illegal and arbitrary,” and detrimental to the cause of Acupuncture.   Elected as the inaugural head (May 2018-May 2023) of the five-member statutory body, Dr. Beramji, was subsequently appointed its Administrator after the MCA’s term expired.   Adv. Natu pointed out that the Administrator’s appointment was intended to be a stop-gap arrangement for one year to facilitate the polls, but it was subsequently ‘extended’. However, nearly three years later, Dr. Beramji continued without fresh elections being conducted, raising questions over adherence to statutory norms and principles of governance.   Directionless Members Dr. Sawant further contended that while Dr. Beramji was installed as Administrator, the remaining members of the council were effectively superseded, leaving the regulatory body without its mandated collective structure, and over 6500-members directionless.   He argued that the excuse cited for delay in conducting elections was ostensibly an incomplete voter list, but this reason was flimsy considering the extended time lapse.   The petition, which was heard and disposed of on April 22, also levelled serious allegations against the style of functioning of the MCA Administrator, decisions were taken unilaterally, whimsically and without transparency or institutional accountability.   Selective Targeting It also made accusations of ‘selective targeting’ of certain prominent members who attempted to raise valid issues, including the globally-renowned noted acupuncture expert Dr. P. B. Lohiya of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.   Other members raised doubts over approvals granted to more than a dozen acupuncture colleges and some two dozen Continuous Acupuncture Education (CAE) centres in undue haste, purportedly in violation of prescribed norms and alleged shady deals. Many of these institutions, it was claimed, either exist only on paper or lack essential infrastructure, faculty and facilities.   The petitioner called for a comprehensive review of the Administrator’s tenure, a financial audit of the MCA's affairs, and an independent probe by the MEDD into the approvals granted to the institutions in recent years.   Dr. Sawant had sought quashing Dr. Beramji’s appointment as MCA Administrator and setting aside all policy decisions taken during his tenure in the last three years, and ordering the government to hold elections to the body.

NCP vs NCP: Ajit’s outfit beats rival in 29 seats

NCP vs NCP

Mumbai: The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has defeated the NCP (SP) headed by his uncle Sharad Pawar in 29 seats in the contest between the two rival factions in the Maharashtra assembly elections.


The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) came out winner in six constituencies, as per the results announced on Saturday.


The Nationalist Congress Party of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a constituent of the ruling Mahayuti, won 41 of the 59 seats it contested, as per the Election Commission's figures.


The NCP (SP) led by his uncle had to be content with only ten victories, though it fielded 86 candidates.


The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, split last year after Ajit Pawar walked away with 41 MLAs and aligned with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP to become part of the Mahayuti government, triggering an acrimonious intra-family rivalry.


Ajit Pawar faced a big setback in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls when his cousin and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule defeated his wife Sunetra Pawar on their home turf Baramati.


On Saturday, Ajit Pawar defeated his nephew Yugendra Pawar, endorsed by 83-year-old Sharad Pawar, by a margin of over 1 lakh votes, inflicting on the veteran leader the first-ever defeat in this family bastion.


The 29 seats that the NCP bagged in a direct fight with the NCP (SP) candidates included Sindhkhed Raja where Manoj Kayande defeated sitting MLA Rajendra Shingane who had earlier sided with Ajit Pawar but subsequently returned to his parent party.


Aheri saw another intra-family battle, with Dharmarao Atram of the NCP defeating his daughter Bhagyashree of NCP (SP).


Indranil Naik beat Sharad Maind of NCP (SP) in Pusad, while Chandrakant Navghare came in top in the face-off against Jaiprakash Dandegaonkar of NCP (SP) in Basmath.


Prominent OBC leader and Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal defeated Manikrao Shinde of NCP (SP) in Yeola. In Sinnar, Manikrao Kokate won against Uday Sangale of NCP (SP).


Assembly deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal of NCP retained his Dindori seat, registering a triumph over Sunita Charoskar.


Daulat Daroda beat Pandurang Barora in Shahapur, while former minister Nawab Malik's daughter Sana Malik won against NCP(SP) nominee Fahad Ahmad, who is also the husband of actor Swara Bhasker, in Mumbai's Anushaktinagar in a high-decibel contest.


Anil Navgane of NCP (SP) was bested by minister Aditi Tatkare in the coastal Srivardhan. In Ambegaon, her cabinet colleague Dilip Walse Patil defeated Devdutt Nikam.


Shirur constituency saw Dnyaneshwar Katke winning the fight against Ashok Pawar of NCP (SP).


Anna Bandsode trounced Sulakshana Dhar of NCP (SP) in Pimpri, while Kiran Lahamate defeated Amit Bhangare of NCP (SP) in Akole.


In Kopargaon, Ashutosh Kale beat Sandeep Varpe of NCP (SP).


Sangram Jagtap defeated Abhishek Kalamkar of NCP (SP) in Ahmednagar City. In Majalgaon, Prakash Solanke marched to victory, leaving behind Mohan Jagtap of NCP (SP).


Minister Dhananjay Munde took a whopping lead of 1.4 lakh votes over Rajesaheb Deshmukh to emerge as the winner in Parli of Beed district in the Marathwada region.


Babasaheb Patil defeated Vinayak Jadhav Patil of NCP (SP) in Ahmedpur, while Sanjay Bandsode scored over Sudhakar Bhalerao of NCP (SP) in Udgir.


In Phaltan, Deepak Chavan of NCP (SP) was bested by Sachin Patil. His party colleague Makrand Patil defeated Aruna Pisal of NCP (SP) in Wai. Shekar Nikam won the face-off against Prashant Yadav of NCP (SP) in Chiplun.


Minister Hasan Mushrif registered victory in Kagal by trouncing Samarjit Ghatge. Kashinath Date beat Rani Lanke of NCP (SP) in Parner and Raju Karemore defeated Charan Waghmare of NCP (SP) in Tumsar.


In Indapur, Datta Bharne won against Harshvardhan Patil, who had crossed over from the BJP to NCP (SP) before the November 20 polls.


Notably, Sharad Pawar's party polled 11.28 per cent of all votes. The figure for the NCP stood at 9.01 per cent.


Referring to the rivals as "traitors", Sharad Pawar had asked voters to defeat them "decisively". The results show voters ignored the appeal.


The NCP (SP) candidates who defeated their NCP rivals included Jitendra Awhad, who won against Najeeb Mulla in Mumbra Kalwa.


Bapusaheb Pathare defeated Sunil Tingre in Vadgaon Sheri.


Sandeep Kshirsagar defeated Yogesh Kshirsagar in Beed.


Abhijit Patil won in Madha leaving Minal Sathe of the NCP in the third position.

Raju Khare defeated Yashwant Mane in Mohol while state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil defeated Nishikant Patil in Islampur.


Rohit Patil defeated Sanjay Kaka Patil in Tasgaon Kavathe-Mahankal.


NCP elects Ajit Pawar as leader

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday elected party president Ajit Pawar as the leader of the party in the legislative assembly.


In a meeting chaired by party state president and Lok Sabha MP Sunit Tatkare, Pawar was appointed as the leader of the legislative party, and his colleague Anil Patil was reappointed as the chief whip.


Patil will oversee the attendance of legislators and address their requests to speak on various topics during the sessions.

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