Maharashtra bypoll: HC asks Mumbai civic body what is its difficulty in deciding on Rutuja Latke's resignation

The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Mumbai civic body what was its difficulty in deciding on the resignation submitted by Rutuja Latke the candidate of Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party for the upcoming Andheri East Assembly bypollA division bench of Justices Nitin Jamdar and Sharmila Deshmukh directed senior counsel Anil Sakhare appearing for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC to inform the court in the afternoon session as to what the civic bodys stand wasLatke had moved the high court on Wednesday seeking a direction to the Mumbai civic body to accept her resignation as its employeeIf an employee wants to resign and contest elections what is the difficulty The petitioner is a clerk Why is the Municipal Commissioner not using his discretion and taking a decision Justice Jamdar askedIt is just an employeremployee dispute before us This is not even a matter that should have come to court The Commissioner should have done it by now When will you BMC do it The last date to submit nomination is tomorrow the bench addedThe last date for filing the nomination papers for the November 3 byelection is October 14Latkes counsel Vishwajeet Sawant told the court that she is only a clerk who has no pending dues or enquiries In normal circumstances the resignation would have been accepted by the Joint Commissioner itself But due to the political circumstances her resignation is pending before the Commissioner Sawant saidAlso Read Maharashtra bypoll Thackerayled Shiv Sena faction claims Rutuja Latke being pressured to contest as Shinde group candidateSakhare told the court that a decision on the resignation was not taken as the resignation was defectiveIn her petition Rutuja Latke said the delay by the civic body in issuing a letter or order accepting her resignation appears to be deliberate to prevent her from contesting the byelectionShe also requested the high court to allow her to file a nomination for the byelection necessitated by the death of her husband and sitting MLA Ramesh LatkeRutuja Latke however has not mentioned the party she wants to file the poll nomination forSeparately Rutuja Latke has maintained that she will contest the bypoll on the Thackeray factions mashaal symbolThe Congress and Nationalist Congress Party NCP have pledged support to the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray party making Rutuja Latka the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA candidateThe Uddhav Thackeray faction had on Wednesday alleged that Rutuja Latke was being pressured by the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to contest on their ticket The Thackeray faction also alleged political pressure on the Mumbai civic body to delay the resignation of Latke as its employee to scuttle her candidature for the November 3 bypollBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC commissioner I S Chahal had denied any political pressureThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever