The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) accepted the resignation of Rutuja Latke, the candidate of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction for the Andheri East bypoll, that is scheduled on November 3, news agency PTI reported, citing officials. The civic body accepted the resignation acting on Bombay High Court’s order. Latke was working as executive assistant (clerk) in the BMC.
An official said that immediately after the high court’s decision, her resignation was accepted on Thursday, and on Friday morning, she collected the letter.
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The by-poll is necessitated following the death of MLA Ramesh Latke earlier this year. Rutuja is the widow of the ex-Sena MLA Ramesh Latke, who died after a heart attack in May 2022 in Dubai, The Indian Express reported.
As per Rule 6 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Service (Conduct) Regulations, 1989, an employee of the BMC is prohibited from contesting elections. Hence, her resignation was necessitated for her to contest the elections.
She is scheduled to file her nomination later in the day as the Thackeray faction’s candidate.
On October 3, Latke had submitted her resignation, however, it was not accepted. On October 12, she moved the High Court, which directed the BMC to accept her nomination, as per the PTI report.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress have decided to show their support to the Uddhav faction’s candidate Rutuja Latke.
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The last date of filing nominations for the Andheri East by-poll is October 14. The Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction, who is an ally of the BJP, will be making Murji Patel as its candidate.
Earlier, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leaders had claimed that the BMC was not accepting the resignation of Latke as it was “under pressure”.