The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is staring at yet another political crisis as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is yet to accept the resignation of Rutuja Latke, a BMC employee and the faction’s prospective candidate for the Andheri East bypoll. As non-acceptance of her resignation will jeopardise her ability to contest the by-poll, Latke moved the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, seeking direction to the BMC to accept her resignation. The High Court is scheduled to hear the matter on Thursday. As per Rule 6 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Service (Conduct) Regulations, 1989, an employee of the BMC is prohibited from contesting elections. Rutuja is the widow of Sena MLA from Andheri East Ramesh Latke, who died in May this year. The bypoll is scheduled to be held on November 3 and the last date for filing nominations for the seat is Friday. The Uddhav-led faction claimed on Wednesday that BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal was not accepting the resignation of Latke since he was “under pressure”. It said Latke had submitted her resignation a month ago and the civic body was delaying the process deliberately. In a press conference on Wednesday, Sena MLC and former cabinet Minister Anil Parab alleged that BMC officials were delaying the process and citing different reasons since they were “under pressure”. BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal denied that there was any pressure. “The rule permits us to decide in 30 days. She (Latke) applied (resigned) on October 3 evening, so there is no question of any government pressure,” said Chahal. However, Parab said, “Latke submitted her resignation on September 2, but after a month's time, on October 3, she was told that the resignation was not in the right format. Latke then applied for the second time on October 3, but the civic chief is not accepting it. According to the rules, any staffer has to give a month’s notice before leaving the job or else they have to pay a month’s salary. Latke is willing to do that too, yet her resignation has not been accepted. I spoke to the commissioner and asked him to give a reply in writing about not accepting the resignation. However, he has not done so.” He also claimed that Latke was being pressured to leave the Thackeray faction. Latke, meanwhile, said that her loyalty was with Thackeray. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis denied the allegations against the Shinde faction and the BMC. “The BMC is an autonomous body and there are rules which the civic body follows while accepting the resignation. There is no pressure from the state on anyone.”
