Maha Medical Council Elections Row: Former members allege political interference

Mumbai: After some members of the Maharashtra Medical Council raised concerns over the removal of nearly 72,000 doctors from the voters’ list ahead of the upcoming elections, former members have now pointed to political interference and internal rifts within the medical community as the polling date approaches.

As per a latest TOI report, former members of the council have claimed that the upcoming April 26 election, which would be the first to be held in a decade, is being influenced by political forces, reportedly leading to a split within the Indian Medical Association (IMA) into two rival factions, both claiming to be the sole legitimate representative of the association. 

At the centre of the row are two competing panels: One, the "Official IMA MMC Panel," backed by current state president Dr Santosh Kulkarni and allegedly supported by BJP-affiliated Vaidkiya Aghadi. The other, the “IMA Members MMC Panel,” is supported by 14 past presidents and senior members of the association. 

Also read- Maha Medical Council Elections: Why 72,000 doctors were removed from the list

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that, as the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) elections are set for 26 April 2025, some members have raised concerns over the removal of nearly 72,000 doctors from the voters’ list.

Registration with the MMC is mandatory for every medical graduate, and it must be renewed every five years. However, around 70,000 practitioners did not complete this renewal process, leading to the deletion of their names from the electoral rolls. The MMC currently has a total membership of approximately 1.3 lakh doctors.

The MMC is a quasi-judicial body responsible for overseeing the medical profession and addressing malpractice and negligence cases. The elections were supposed to be conducted every five years, but it has been pending since 2022. Polls were scheduled for April 3, 2025, but were postponed to April 26.

The stakes in this election are high, as the MMC has been functioning under a state-appointed administrator since 2022. The council structure includes nine elected members and nine government nominees, aimed at maintaining a balance between the medical fraternity and the state.

Commenting on the matter, Dr Suhas Pingle, a former MMC member, said, "Dr Kulkarni bypassed official protocol by scrapping a panel previously vetted in 2025. Even as there was a majority IMA member consensus to retain that original panel, the leadership 'arbitrarily' changed eligibility rules and appointed a selection committee of newcomers to hand-pick a new group. The move was so contentious that four senior members reportedly walked out of the process in protest."

Past MMC president Dr Shivkumar Utture said, "Members of the original 2025 panel received threatening phone calls from Vaidkiya Aghadi pressuring them to jump ship to the new panel. One member even left because of the pressure."

Responding to the allegations, Dr Kulkarni told TOI, "The allegations are all baseless. My panel is the only official one. My panel includes an alliance with the Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association; therefore, all other candidates are IMA members. Past presidents do not have any authority. I am the Maharashtra state president, so the panel I am calling the official panel is indeed an official panel."

Also read- Supreme Court gives deadline to hold Maharashtra Medical Council elections