In a big blow to the opposition in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), senior Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and former Mayor Vishakha Raut is likely to lose her seat after the caste verification committee in Palghar invalidated her Other Backward Caste (OBC) certificate on Friday.

Raut represents the high profile 191 ward, which encompasses Shivaji Park and Dadar west belt. Earlier in January, Raut contested from the 191 ward — which was reserved as an OBC woman seat — against Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s Priya Sarvankar Gurav.

Raut defeated Priya Sarvankar, daughter of former MLA and Sena leader Sada Sarvankar, by a margin of 167 votes, after securing 13,236 votes in a closely watched contest.

Story continues below this ad

However, on Friday, the caste certificate scrutiny committee in Palghar invalidated Raut’s OBC certificate on the grounds of incorrect jurisdiction. Owing to the invalidated caste certificate in an OBC seat, the cancellation of Raut’s post will be announced in the civic house after the caste scrutiny committee submits its report before the BMC commissioner and the civic election department issues an order, disqualifying her as a corporator. “The order by the civic election department will be submitted before the Municipal Secretary office, and finally will be announced in next BMC session by the Mayor,” an official privy to the development told .

Raut alleged that the caste scrutiny committee was working under pressure of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

“While there was no pressure on me, there was definitely pressure on the caste scrutiny committee from the ruling party. All my papers were accurate and thus, they have disqualified me on the basis of jurisdiction,” Raut told reporters on Friday, adding, “They have disqualified me on the grounds that the SDO of Palghar has no rights to issue caste certificates to me. However, even Priya Sarvankar, who had filed the case against me, has a caste certificate from Vaibhavwadi despite her and her father being born in Mumbai.”

Her caste certificate deemed invalid, Raut now has the right to approach the higher authorities to procure a stay on the order. Unless the disqualified member challenges the invalidation claims, the opponent — who emerged the second runner-up during elections — stands to be appointed as the corporator in BMC. “Additionally, her opponent can also approach the small-cause court seeking her appointment as the corporator. If the courts rule in favour of her appointment, she becomes the corporator or else a new corporator will be elected in by-polls,” said a civic official.

Story continues below this ad

A senior Sena UBT corporator, Raut is the fifth corporator of the opposition fold to be disqualified. Between June and July, at least four corporators from the opposition were disqualified after their caste certificates were declared invalid by the caste verification committee.

On June 18, Deepak Sawant, Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator from ward 111 in Bhandup, lost his seat after the caste scrutiny committee invalidated his OBC caste certificate which he had submitted while filing his nomination for the January civic elections. On June 22, AIMIM corporator Sameer Ramzan Patel from ward 137 was disqualified on similar grounds. Later, on July 10, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde announced the disqualification of two more corporators. AIMIM’s Roshan Shaikh from ward 138 and NCP’s Bushra Nadeem Malik from ward 170 in Kurla East were disqualified after their caste certificates were invalidated.