A fresh controversy has erupted ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, with an candidate alleging that she was pressured to withdraw her nomination from Colaba by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar.
Tejal Pawar’s allegations, made at a press conference on Wednesday, come after another aspirant, Haribhau Rathod, accused Narvekar of intimidation during the nomination process.
Addressing the media, Pawar alleged that soon after she filed her nomination papers from Ward No. 226 in Colaba, attempts were made to force her to withdraw from the race. She claimed that the pressure was exerted through intermediaries and personal meetings, and that the intent was to ensure that she did not contest the polls against Narvekar’s preferred candidate.
Her husband, who was present at the press conference, gave a detailed account of the alleged events.
According to him, repeated phone calls were made by Narvekar’s personal assistant following the filing of the nomination. “I did not answer the calls initially as my child was unwell and I was at Bombay Hospital,” he said.
He claimed that on January 31, when the scrutiny of nomination papers took place, five candidates had filed forms from the ward. Of these, two were declared invalid, while three, including his wife, were found eligible.
“After the scrutiny, I congratulated one of the candidates whose election symbol was the elephant and came out,” he said.
Pawar’s husband further claimed that he was surrounded by Narvekar’s aides outside the returning officer’s office near Richard Cruz Mill. “They insisted that I meet Rahul Sir immediately. When I said my wife was with me and questioned their behaviour, one of them said, ‘We are from Colaba’,” he said.
He further claimed that security personnel got out of a vehicle. “I clearly said I would not get into the car and that I had my own bike. Despite this, I was cornered,” he said.
According to Pawar’s husband, once they were inside the vehicle, the tone of their conversation changed.
“Initially, it was said affectionately, ‘What do you want? Take any contract you want. First, withdraw the nomination. I will set your life’,” he alleged, adding that this made him realise the intention behind the meeting was to ensure his wife’s withdrawal from the election.
Pawar’s husband said she had previously worked at Tata Memorial Hospital. “She wants to serve people, and that is why she decided to contest the election,” he said.
Curated by James Chen
