18 former Cong corporators disqualified for cross-voting in mayoral poll

As many as 18 former Congress corporators of Maharashtra's Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) have been disqualified from contesting any elections for the next 6 years for voting against their party's official mayoral candidate in 2019.

In an order issued on Monday, the Urban Development Department headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the ex-corporators defied the whip issued by the Congress.

Despite the Congress having 47 corporators in the 90-member BNCMC House, its mayoral candidate Rishika Raka lost the poll in December 2019 due to cross-voting by 18 corporators from the party.

Pratibha Patil of the Konkan Vikas Aghadi, which had only 4 members in the House, got the support of 20 BJP corporators, the 18 Congress corporators and seven members of smaller allies to secure the mayor's post with 49 votes.

Raka's defeat prompted the local Congress leaders to file a petition with the Konkan Divisional Commissioner seeking the disqualification of those who cross-voted. However, it was rejected.

The petitioners then challenged the decision with the Urban Development Department, which issued an order on Monday disqualifying the former corporators from contesting any elections for the next six years.