Sena UBT corporator Vishakha Raut’s OBC certificate invalidated

Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and former Mumbai mayor Vishakha Raut faces disqualification after the Palghar caste scrutiny committee declared her OBC certificate invalid on Friday. Raut contested the 2023 BMC elections from Ward 191 in Dadar, a seat reserved for OBC women, and defeated Priya Sarvankar by a narrow margin of 191 or 197 votes (sources differ). The committee's order is expected to reach BMC headquarters by Monday, after which the civic body is likely to cancel her corporator post.

Raut has alleged political pressure behind the decision, claiming former MLA Sada Sarvankar, whose daughter lost to her, influenced the committee. Sada Sarvankar has denied this. Raut says she belongs to the Kunbi community and that her certificate was issued by the Palghar subdivisional officer. She plans to appeal before the Konkan Bhavan commissioner or the collector, as per procedure. Four other BMC corporators have been disqualified earlier for invalid caste certificates.

Hindustan Times and Times of India both report the core facts but differ slightly on the victory margin. Hindustan Times quotes Raut blaming Sada Sarvankar directly, while Times of India highlights her broader allegation of pressure from Shiv Sena and the narrow 197-vote margin. Both note the three-month window for appeal.