In relief to Team Uddhav, HC asks BMC to accept resignation of bypoll candidate Rutuja Latke

The high court direction came after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) failed to use its discretionary power in the matter.

The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the Mumbai civic body to issue a letter of acceptance of the resignation to Rutuja Latke, the candidate of 'Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' party for the upcoming Andheri East Assembly bypoll.

File photo of Shiv supremo Uddhav Thackeray.

The high court direction came after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) failed to use its discretionary power in the matter.

A division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Sharmila Deshmukh directed the competent authority of the the civic body to accept the resignation and issue appropriate letter by 11am on Friday. "She (Latke) is your (BMC) employee...You should be helping her out," the court said.

had earlier asked senior counsel Anil Sakhare, appearing for the Mumbai civic body, what was the difficulty in deciding on the resignation submitted by Latke. This would pave way for Latke to file her nominations for the by-election on Friday.

Earlier in the day, Latke's counsel Vishwajeet Sawant told the court that she was a clerk at the civic body and had no pending dues or enquiries.

The last date for filing the nomination papers for the November 3 by-election is October 14. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of Latke's husband and sitting MLA Ramesh Latke.

On Wednesday, the Uddhav Thackeray faction had alleged that Rutuja Latke was being pressured by the group led by Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde to contest on their ticket.

It also raised allegations of political pressure on the Mumbai civic body to delay the resignation of Latke as its employee to scuttle her candidature for the bypoll. However, BMC commissioner I S Chahal had denied any political pressure.

(With inputs from agencies)