HC notice to Nitesh Rane on petition challenging his election

The Bombay High Court today issued notices to Nitesh Rane, son of the former Maharashtra Minister Narayan Rane, Election Commission of India and others on a petition challenging his 2014 election as MLA from Kankavli in Sindhudurg district for alleged corrupt practises.
The replies are expected by May 5. The notices were issued by Justice R D Dhanuka on a petition filed by BJP's Pramod Jathar, who lost to Nitesh, through his lawyer Ajit Jakhadi.
It demands that Nitesh's election be set aside and Jathar be declared the winning candidate.
There were eight candidates in the fray. Rane, a Congress candidate, won with a margin of 74,715 votes.

The petition alleges that Rane withheld information about his assets in his affidavit to the Returning Officer.
Rane is a director in Pure Foods and Beverages Pvt Ltd, a company owned by him and his mother, which holds nine hectares of land in Kankavli. The '7/12' property record mentions this, it says.

However, Rane's name as a director does not appear in the memorandum and articles of the company obtained from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, alleges the petition.
Non-disclosure of such information in the election affidavit amounts to corrupt practise under section 123 of Representation of People Act, Jathar says.

The petition also says that Rane had got published his photographs in newspapers with the local religious leaders, claiming to have received their blessings, and seeking votes.