Nagpur, October 30: The stage is all set for the assembly elections in Maharashtra, which will go to poll on November 20. Ahead of the Vidhan Sabha polls, former minister and Congress leader Anees Ahmed joined the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) in Mumbai on Monday, October 28. However, he was unable to file his nomination as Ahmed missed the deadline by one minute.
Anees Ahmed Joins VBA After Congress Denies Ticket
The deadline to submit nominations for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections 2024 was 3:00 PM on Tuesday, October 29. So, how did Anees Ahmed miss the deadline to file his nomination? According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Ahmed joined VBA in Mumbai after resigning from Congress. In Mumbai, Ahmed was welcomed into the party by VBA president Prakash Ambedkar. Yogendra Yadav Manhandled in Maharashtra: Prakash Ambedkar-Led VBA’s Workers Push Political Activist During Event in Akola, Video Surfaces.
Ambedkar also gave Ahmed AB forms to contest the assembly elections from Nagpur Central. After receiving the form, Ahmed returned to Nagpur by evening but did not file his nomination papers. On Tuesday, Anees Ahmed reached the collectorate's office to file his nomination. Ahmed claimed that he was delayed by the security personnel, who objected to his entourage of five.
Anees Ahmed Misses Nomination Deadline by One Minute
The former Congress MLA also claimed that this delay cost him his nomination as the door to the office closed soon after the 3:00 PM deadline passed. While Ahmed has missed his deadline to file the nomination, it is speculated that a few last-minute calls from senior Congress leaders discouraged the VBA nominee from filing his nomination papers.
Having said that, Ahmed has rejected any external pressure. He claimed that he was unable to file his nomination papers due to the delays caused by the security staff at the election office. However, returning officer Vishal Meshram refuted Ahmed's claims and said that the VBA leader reached his office after the deadline, due to which his papers were not accepted. Amit Thackeray vs Sada Sarvankar in Mahim, Asif Zakaria vs Ashish Shelar in Vandre West: Key Battles To Watch Out for in Mumbai During Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.
Who Is Anees Ahmed?
For the Nagpur Central assembly constituency, the Congress has fielded Bunty Shelke, who is up against BJP candidate Pravin Datke. Although Anees Ahmed has missed filing his nomination papers, let's learn more about him. A former Congress MLA, Ahmed was elected to the Maharashtra legislative assembly for three terms from Nagpur Central in 1990, 1999, and 2004.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2024 10:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).