Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and former Mumbai Mayor Vishakha Raut is likely to lose her seat in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after the caste scrutiny committee in Palghar invalidated her Other Backward Class (OBC) certificate on Friday. Raut represents ward 191, covering Shivaji Park and Dadar West. The ward had been reserved for an OBC woman during the January civic elections. In a closely contested election, Raut had secured 13,236 votes and defeated Shinde-led Shiv Sena candidate Priya Sarvankar Gurav, daughter of former MLA and Sena leader Sada Sarvankar, by 167 votes.
The caste scrutiny committee invalidated Raut’s certificate on grounds of incorrect jurisdiction. Since the certificate had been submitted for an OBC-reserved seat, the cancellation of her corporator post is expected to follow. The committee’s report will be submitted to the BMC Commissioner, after which the civic election department is expected to issue a disqualification order. The order will then be submitted to the Municipal Secretary’s office and is expected to be announced during the next BMC session by the Mayor, according to a civic official.
Raut alleged that pressure had been exerted on the caste scrutiny committee by the ruling Mahayuti alliance. She maintained that her documents were accurate and said, “There was definitely pressure on the caste scrutiny committee from the ruling party.” She further stated that her certificate had been rejected because the SDO of Palghar was considered to have no authority to issue caste certificates to her.
Raut also questioned the certificate held by Priya Sarvankar, who had filed the case against her, stating that Sarvankar had obtained a caste certificate from Vaibhavwadi despite her and her father being born in Mumbai. Raut can approach higher authorities and seek a stay against the order. If the decision is not challenged, her opponent could seek appointment as corporator. A civic official said that the opponent could also approach the small-causes court. If the court rules in favour of the appointment, the opponent could become corporator; otherwise, a by-election would be held.
Raut is the fifth opposition corporator to face disqualification following caste certificate invalidation. Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Deepak Sawant, AIMIM’s Sameer Ramzan Patel, AIMIM’s Roshan Shaikh and NCP’s Bushra Nadeem Malik were disqualified between June and July after their caste certificates were declared invalid.