[Reader-list] corporators with fake caste certificates

[S.Shashidhar]

Radheshyam Jadhav
Pune, June 5: Politics in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has hit a roller coaster with membership of five corporators getting cancelled on account of invalid caste certificates submitted while contesting polls from reserved wards. Decision in two similar cases are pending. Membership of another four corporators is under a cloud as the defeated candidates have approached Bombay High Court raising objections on the caste certificates of these corporators. 
Congress corporators Usha Jadhav and Suman Chimte have resigned from their posts while Nitin Jagtap is on his way to join the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Seven posts are already vacant and result is awaited in six cases in the house of 144. As of now NCPs strength stands reduced to 44 from 46, Congress to 40 from 44 and MNS left with 7 members, having lost one member in the caste validity row. However, the BJP and Sena numbers — 25 and 20 — remain intact. 
“This will not have an immediate effect on the power equations in the municipal corporation. But we as ruling party will put in every effort to win maximum seats in the bypolls,” said one senior NCP leader. The BJP-Sena members in the standing committee have already started complaining that they are not getting ‘proper share’ in the power, he also said. 
“It’s been hardly four months and some differences in the ruling coalition are already shaping. With state assembly polls only a year away, the number game in municipal corporation will undergo a change and then every single member will count. But as of now BJP-Sena will continue to support us,” he said. 
“We would like to contest all vacant seats despite our alliance with the NCP in municipal corporation,” said a BJP leader while Congress leader Aba Bagul put the onus on the election commission. “The state election commission has goofed up in the matter,” he said, alluding to the invalid caste certificates. 
Municipal secretary Sharad Samel said the decision about conducting the bypolls will be taken as per instructions from the state government and election commission. 
Five corporators including Bandu Gaikwad (Congress) Malan Bhintade (independent Congress supporter), Balasaheb Bodke (NCP) Bandu Kemse (independent NCP supporter) and Rajendra Gorde (MNS) had contested in reserved seats. They had claimed that as Kunbis, they were entitled to contest from reserved seats. However their opponents objected the Kunbi caste certificate and claimed that Maratha corporators had submitted invalid caste certificates as Kunbis. Thereafter, the caste verification committee agreed with the point raised by defeated candidates. 
NCP corporator Sunil Gogale and Rekha Shinde of Congress failed to submit their caste certificates in the stipulated period of four months and their case have been referred to the state government. 
State EC seeks information from PMC
The State Election Commission has sought information from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on the invalid caste certificate row. “We provided the information sought by the Election Commission on Tuesday,” said civic election officer Dyandeo Thube. 
Of the 144 seats, 57 seats were reserved under various categories. “In the case of the two corporators whose caste certificates are valid — but who failed to submit the same in time — the State government will take a final decision soon,” said Thube.

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