Mumbai: In a setback for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), the caste verification committee in Palghar district has declared as invalid the caste certificate of former mayor and sitting Dadar corporator Vishakha Raut.
Unless the senior Sena (UBT) leader obtains a stay from the same authority, her election as corporator is likely to be cancelled, officials said.
“Sada Sarvankar pressured the caste scrutiny committee to declare my certificate invalid. I am from the Kunbi community and had submitted the relevant documents belonging to my grandfather’s brothers’ families and my family. The SDO (Subdivisional officer) Palghar had sanctioned my certificate and I had filed my nomination for the civic polls only after that. Sada Sarvankar refuted allegations of pressuring the caste scrutiny committee. “I am a former MLA and can’t pressurize anyone.
Now, the caste scrutiny committee says that the SDO had no jurisdiction to give me a certificate,” she said. She would appeal against the cancellation of her caste certificate with the Collector, she said. Her certificate has been declared invalid and she is bound to make allegations,” he said.
