Mumbai:Former Mumbai Mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Vishakha Raut has been disqualified from contesting elections or holding the office of councillor for six years.
The Maharashtra government has barred Raut from contesting elections or holding office as a councillor in a major setback for the Opposition in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The order was issued by the Urban Development Department after the caste certificate scrutiny committee in Palghar invalidated Raut’s OBC caste certificate, alleging that it had been filed under the wrong jurisdiction. The decision was issued through a government resolution (GR) dated September 1.
Raut represents the high-profile Ward 191, covering Shivaji Park and Dadar West. In the January civic elections, she contested from the ward, which was reserved for an OBC woman candidate, against Shiv Sena’s Priya Sarvankar Gurav. In a closely fought contest, Raut secured 13,236 votes and defeated Sarvankar, the daughter of former MLA and Sena leader Sada Sarvankar, by 167 votes.
According to the government resolution, Raut was disqualified from holding the post of councillor under the relevant provision of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, resulting in her seat being declared vacant.
The GR stated that the Maharashtra government was exercising its powers under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act to disqualify Raut from being elected or holding the office of councillor for six years, effective August 20, 2026.
Raut is the fifth Opposition corporator to be disqualified. However, this is the first instance in which the Urban Development Department has issued a direct disqualification order.
Four Opposition corporators were disqualified between June and July after their caste certificates were invalidated by the caste verification committee.
On June 18, Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Deepak Sawant from Ward 111 in Bhandup lost his seat after the caste scrutiny committee invalidated his OBC caste certificate, which he had submitted during the January civic elections.
On June 22, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (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 declared invalid.
