PIL in Bombay High Court seeks to postpone Maharashtra assembly elections, impose President’s Rule

Sumit Singh

Pune, September 13, 2019 : A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court by Pune-based social activist Vivek Chavan of Bharatiya Dalit Cobra organisation, seeking directions to postpone forthcoming Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) election as 40 % of voters in the state has been affected by flood and drought.

Advocates Tosif Shaikh and Kranti Sahane, who are representing the petitioner, said that they have sought postponement of elections by atleast six months.

“If election is declared then the relief work of the affected people will get delayed as all the state machinery will get involved in the election process as the Election commission does not have its own machinery (employees). How will these millions of voters affected by natural disasters vote wisely as they have lost physical, mental and financial stability due to drought and flood situation. Lakhs of voters have migrated in search of livelihood and employment. This will have an impact on the basic objectives of election goals for a free and fair election of this country and that is the reason why the petition has been filed”, Adv Tosif said.

Adv Kranti Sahane added, “We are praying that the proposed 2019 Maharashtra Assembly election(Vidhan Sabha)  be postponed for six months and after the termination of the term of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly 2014, the President’s rule should be imposed in the State and under his rule, relief and rehabilitation of the flood and drought affected people should be done by the administration.”

According to the petition, due to flood and drought in Maharashtra state 28 districts and 178 taluka and around millions of people’s(voters) physical, financial, health condition has been hampered. In the month of October 2018 the Maharashtra state government declared drought in around 155 Taluka. A government report says nearly 11,500 of Maharashtra’s 40,000 villages face water scarcity due to a combination of less than normal rainfall and consequent exploitation of groundwater. The Maharashtra government declared a ‘drought-like situation’ in 180 tehsils, more than half the 353 of these administrative units in the state, in an acknowledgement of looming agrarian distress and more than 500 villages in Marathwada are dependent on water tankers to meet their drinking water needs.

It further states that in February 2019, the state government declared drought in 151 of the 358 talukas. In these talukas, 28,524 villages have been declared drought affected. Of this, 112 are severe drought hit and around 42 per cent of the state is reeling under drought. That it is very unfortunate that in Maharashtra state more than 12,021 farmers committed suicide only within period of three years 2015-18 due to lack of income, food, education and health expenses. It has become difficult to live every day-to-day life.