HC annuls MoS Arjun Khotkar’s election

Mumbai: The Aurangabad bench of Bombay high court on Friday set aside the election of Shiv Sena MLA Arjun Khotkar — who is minister of state (MoS) for textile, animal husbandry, dairy development and fisheries — as he filed his nomination papers after the deadline had expired.

Mr Khotkar, said that he would file an appeal in the Supreme Court soon.

Mr Khotkar was elected from the Jalna constituency in the 2014 Assembly elections, had previously been elected as MLA in the 1990, 1995 and 2004 polls. In the last election, he won by a mere 296 votes. Former MLA Kailas Gorantyal, a Congress candidate challenged his victory in  the HC on the grounds that he had not submitted his nomination to the returning officer (RO) in time.

Mr Khotkar said that he had filed two applications on September 26, 2014 and September 27, before 3 pm. The RO accepted my applications. So, I had filed my applications in time.”