# Shiv Sena demands disqualification of former Mumbai mayor Vishakha Raut 2026-08-26T02:47:33+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Shiv Sena corporator Priya Gurav has met BMC chief Ashwini Bhide demanding the disqualification of former mayor Vishakha Raut, citing an August 21 order by the Palghar District Caste Verification Committee that cancelled Raut's OBC certificate. Gurav lost to Raut in Ward 191 in Dadar, a seat reserved for OBC women, by just 197 votes in the 2026 civic polls. Raut has alleged the committee's decision was taken under political pressure from her rivals and maintains she holds a valid Kunbi OBC certificate from her ancestral village in Palghar. Four other BMC corporators have already been disqualified over invalid caste validity certificates, with several challenging their removal in court. The BMC commissioner will now decide whether to act on Gurav's representation. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Palghar committee's August 21 order adds to a growing list of disqualifications in the BMC, where four corporators have already lost their seats over invalid OBC certificates after scrutiny by district-level caste verification bodies. These committees operate under the Maharashtra government's rules for verifying Kunbi and other OBC claims. Raut's victory margin of 197 votes, one of the slimmest in the 2026 elections, means that if the disqualification is upheld, a bypoll could flip the ward in the next civic election. The matter now rests with the BMC commissioner, who will decide on Gurav's disqualification demand and may face a legal challenge from Raut. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Leads with the challenger's disqualification demand, includes Raut's political-pressure allegation only late in the story This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Ashwini Bhide, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Palghar District Caste Verification Committee, Priya Gurav, Shiv Sena UBT, Vishakha Raut Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/shiv-sena-demands-disqualification-of-former-mumbai-mayor-vishakha-raut/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/shiv-sena-demands-disqualification-of-former-mumbai-mayor-vishakha-raut/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/