Shiv Sena corporator disqualified for fake caste certificate

Chaudhary said he would challenge the order in the high court as he had submitted a “valid caste certificate” during the civic elections.

At a time when the party is working hard to regain its lost ground in city’s politics, the Shiv Sena received a blow on Wednesday when its corporator Bharat Chaudhary was disqualified for obtaining a certificate of Other Backward Class (OBC) category by submitting fake documents to contest from a seat reserved for OBC candidate.

In 2012, Chaudhary had won the election from electoral panel 63, reserved for OBC candidate. NCP candidate Mohammed Hussain Khan had challenged the validity of caste certificate submitted by Chaudhary.

“I disqualify Bharat Chaudhary elected from electoral panel 63 in 2012 civic elections as the caste certificate submitted by him have been declared invalid by the divisional caste certificate scrutiny committee,” said Municipal Commissioner Kunal Kumar while issuing the order to disqualify Chaudhary.

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Chaudhary said he would challenge the order in the high court as he had submitted a “valid caste certificate” during the civic elections.

The PMC would now convey the disqualification of Chaudhary to the State Election Commission. The election office would declare the schedule for election for the seat that has fallen vacant.

Earlier, corporators Kalpana Bahirat and Priya Gadade of MNS were disqualified for submitting fake caste certificate and birth certificate, respectively, during the 2012 civic elections. Gadade was re-elected in the bypolls.

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