Nawab Malik, Anil Deshmukh move SC seeking nod to vote in Maharashtra MLC polls

New Delhi, Jun 20: Maharashtra's ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh and minister Nawab Malik on Monday moved Supreme Court challenging Bombay High Court order rejecting their pleas to vote in MLC elections on June 20. Their counsels sought an urgent hearing, Supreme Court is likely to hear the matter today at 12 pm.

The plea stated that as an elected representative, they have a statutory right to vote.

Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case in November last year.

Malik was arrested by the ED on February 23 this year in connection with a separate money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

Both the NCP leaders are currently in judicial custody.

The biennial elections for 10 vacant seats of the Upper House of the state Legislature will be held on next Monday. Members of the state Legislative Assembly constitute the electoral college for these polls.

Eleven candidates are in the fray. The opposition BJP has fielded five candidates, while the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, all constituents of the ruling MVA, have given tickets to two nominees each.