Mumbai University Senate Elections Rescheduled for September 24
In a recent development, the Bombay High Court has ordered the University of Mumbai (MU) to conduct its long-awaited Senate Elections for the Graduate Constituency on September 24, 2023. This ruling comes after an urgent hearing on Saturday, during which a bench comprising Justices AS Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil temporarily stayed the Maharashtra government’s decision to postpone the elections, as stated in their September 19 circular. MU had initially followed the government’s directive and postponed the polls indefinitely on September 20.
Originally planned for September 13, 2023, the Senate Elections were put on hold following the government’s decision to launch an inquiry into alleged duplicate entries in the voter rolls. The upcoming elections aim to fill ten seats designated for the university’s registered graduates. The court clarified that the interim order for rescheduling the elections is subject to the final ruling on the writ petition and cautioned against any party claiming an advantage based on it.
Government’s Action and Enquiry Committee
In response to the postponement of the elections, the Maharashtra government formed a One-Member Enquiry Committee, led by retired High Court Justice KL Wadne. This committee was tasked with investigating concerns raised by former students of IIT Powai and the Institute of Chemical Technology regarding duplicate entries on the electoral rolls. The court allowed the committee to proceed with its inquiry and requested a report to be submitted within a month. However, the court refrained from intervening in the formation of the committee.
The timing of the government’s circular was questioned by the court, pointing out that the final voter list had been published on July 31, and objections were only raised on September 2. The judges deemed the circular as “belated” in light of these facts.
Rescheduling the Elections
During the hearing, advocates for the petitioners, Siddharth Mehta and Harshada Shrikhande, argued that the reasons provided by the Directorate of Higher and Technical Education (DHTE) did not warrant halting the elections. State Advocate General Birendra Saraf, representing the government, cited a significant decrease in registered voters—from 62,000 in 2018 to only 13,000 in 2023—as a justification for the delay. He further contended that since the Senate was still functioning, apart from the Graduate Constituency, there was no urgent need for an interim order.
Despite these arguments, the court mandated that the elections proceed as scheduled on September 24. Counsel for MU, Anil Sakhare, and Advocate Manish Kelkar informed the court that preparations for the elections had been disrupted, and election staff had been recalled following the initial postponement. Upon the Vice-Chancellor’s instructions, they requested the court to allow the elections to take place on the revised date of September 24. The court granted this request and set the date for vote counting as September 27, with a review of the case scheduled for September 26, while the enquiry committee’s investigation continues.
