Disqualified Corporator continues to use identity on banners!

After the last BMC elections, 15 corporators had been disqualified for having produced fake caste certificates. Almost four years on, the wards of 14 of those leaders have new corporators, who had either finished second in the 2007 BMC elections, or won by-elections subsequent to the disqualifications.The ward that remains without a corporator is number 86 in Santacruz East. Shiv Sena’s Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, disqualified, appealed in High Court that ruled in his favour, before the matter became the subject of litigation again. Indeed, all 15 corporators had gone to court, asking for a stay order on a BMC scrutiny committee’s findings. Some of them had moved the court of small causes; others had approached the Bombay High Court directly. While the cases were in court, the corporators did not have the right to attend the BMC’s house and general body meetings, and had no voting rights. Suspended members will not be able to attend any meetings of BMC, make any decisions, use their funds or partake in any civic activities. They will also not be liable for the honorarium from the civic body.  After Mahadeshwar’s election, his Congress opponent Suryavansh Thakur had filed a case against him in the court of small causes alleging inconsistency in his caste certificate. The Bombay High Court stayed the by-election to ward 86 in Santa Cruz (Golibar to Vakola Bridge) following a petition by Congressman Suresh Thakur that he be declared elected since Shiv Sena corporator Vishwanath Mahadeshwar had been disqualified for submitting a fake caste certificate. Earlier, Rafique Sheikh, another Congressman, was declared elected from ward 85 Santa Cruz (Kalina to Bharat Nagar in Bandra-Kurla Complex), after the disqualification of Samajwadi Party corporator Lalji Yadav was upheld by the court. Sheikh, who had lost to Yadav by 150 votes, had appealed to the court to declare him elected and also prevented a by-election in the ward. 
Mahadeshwar, who was also a standing committee member, had been disqualified by the Konkan commissioner, which scrutinises caste certificates, after it found that the certificate submitted at the time of the civic elections in February was fake. Mahadeshwar had challenged the decision in the high court which upheld the disqualification. In August, he approached the Supreme Court, which refused to intervene. 
Similarly, the fate of Mahadeshwar Pandurang, Shiv Sena (accused of submitting fake caste certificates) and Suresh Thakur, Congress has been in the courts for almost four years. Mahadeshwar Pandurang who was declared winner was challenged by Suresh Thakur in the Courts. After fighting a long-drawn legal battle in courts challenging Mahadeshwar Pandurang’s fake caste identity the matter has finally reached the tip of the ice-berg. Suresh Thakur while speaking to Santacruz Patrika clarified and said, “Caste certificates of Vaishyawani and Kulwant Wani under OBC has been dismissed by the High Court and orders passed to remove from OBC.” He further added, “Mahadeshwar Pandurang had appealed for a stay but the HC pronounced an order dismissing the caste certificate of Mahadeshwar.”  However, while speaking to Santacruz Patrika, Mahadeshwar Pandurang clarified and said, “The HC came to a conclusion that the GR of 1995, 96 and circular of 2008 issued by the government was not proper and correct and accordingly the case was squashed.” I have done no wrong and submitted my caste certificates of Vaishyawani as per order. But if the court does not treat it as correct I have no say and have to respect the HC order. My elder brother and my son have got validity as Vaishyawani by the government and why I have been discriminated. The next recourse of action available to Mahadeshwar is to move the Supreme Court. And it is learnt that he has moved the Supreme Court challenging the order of HC. Mahadeshwar admits that the order of the HC of dismissing Vaishyawani from OBC is not a good decision. What will be the fate of employees employed under this category? What will be the fate of Medical, Engineering and various students who have taken admission as Vaishyawani under OBC? The order has put everyone’s fate at stake and will be challenged.However, in the tussle in courts the sufferers are the  people of the ward since they are without a corporator. They have no one to address their civic problems and grievances and the ward is left unattended. Pandurang Mahadeshwar was a corporator in the ward for only four months and was was disqualified sometime end July, 2007. However, it is alleged that Pandurang Mahadeshwar still keeps putting up hoardings with his photograph as a Municipal Councillor which is a violation of law and cheating the public. While speaking to the residents of TPS 3 they clarified that because there is no corporator in the ward, a lot of illegal hawker stalls have come up in the vicinity. This has spoilt the entire beauty of the area. There is nobody to listen to our woes. Similarly, a lot of illegal stalls and chawls have sprung up in Golibar. With the matter being dragged in courts, the electorates are the innocent who are made to face various hardships.