BMC Seat At Risk: Former Mayor Vishakha Raut’s OBC Certificate Cancelled, Fourth Corporator Disqualified Over Caste Validity

Mumbai, August 21, 2026 – Former Mayor Vishakha Raut, a senior Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator, faces the imminent loss of her BMC seat after the Palghar Caste Scrutiny Committee invalidated her Other Backward Class (OBC) certificate. Four corporators have already been disbarred due to invalid caste certificates. The order from the committee, which invalidated her OBC status on Friday, is expected to reach the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) by Monday, prompting potential action against her position.

Raut, representing Ward 191 in Dadar, a politically significant area, had narrowly defeated Priya Sarvankar, daughter of former MLA Sada Sarvankar, by 197 votes in a tightly contested contest. Despite her rejection of the challenge to her OBC status, citing her ancestral village in Palghar district, Raut plans to appeal the committee's decision within three months before the Konkan Bhavan Commissioner and may consider court action if the appeal fails.