Ex-Mumbai mayor Vishakha Raut disqualified as corporator for 6 years after OBC certificate invalidated

Raut lost her Ward 191 seat after the Palghar caste scrutiny panel invalidated her OBC certificate; the Bombay HC later dismissed her challenge.

Former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vishakha Raut has been disqualified as a corporator for six years after her Other Backward Classes (OBC) caste certificate was invalidated on August 20.

Former Mumbai mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vishakha Raut. (HT Photo)

Mayor Ritu Tawde announced the disqualification on Monday, paving the way for Raut’s rival, the Shiv Sena’s Priya Sarvankar Gurav, to stake a claim to the high-profile ward 191, which covers Shivaji Park and Dadar West. Raut had defeated Sarvankar Gurav, daughter of former MLA Sada Sarvankar, by 197 votes in the 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.

Caste panel invalidates Raut’s OBC certificate

Under section 16(1C)(a) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, an elected councillor whose caste certificate is invalidated ceases to hold office from the date of invalidation. The Maharashtra urban development department subsequently issued an order disqualifying Raut for six years from August 20, 2026. Raut challenged the disqualification in the Bombay High Court, but her petition was dismissed.

Raut alleges political vendetta over swift action

Reacting to the development, Raut alleged a political vendetta and questioned the speed with which the civic administration processed the disqualification. “There is a saying—‘BMC cha kaam ani saha mahine thamb’ (BMC’s work means a six-month wait)… But in my case, the BMC commissioner acted with remarkable speed,” she said.

Raut’s disqualification is a major blow for the Shiv Sena (UBT), which won 65 seats in the BMC elections.