Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Asha Binwade has legally challenged the appointment of co-opted members in the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC). In response to an election petition filed by her before the civil judge (senior division) in Aurangabad, the court issued notices on May 6 to all respondents named in the case. The respondents include co-opted members, six of whom belong to the BJP, as well as senior civic officials, including the former municipal commissioner.
Alleged Violations of Legal Provisions
Binwade stated that the appointment of co-opted members was illegal and violated the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949, and Rules 4 and 5 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (Eligibility and Appointment of Nominated Corporators) Rules, 2012. According to her, co-opted members must be administration experts, medical practitioners, educationists, financial professionals, engineers, advocates, and NGO professionals. Instead, she alleged that the appointments at CSMC were based on political adjustments rather than merit.
Need for Legal Intervention
Binwade emphasized that legal intervention is necessary to set a proper precedent for the appointment of co-opted members within the municipal corporation. She argued that the current process undermines the intended purpose of bringing specialized expertise to civic governance.
List of Co-Opted Members
Among the co-opted members from the BJP are Harshvardhan Karad, son of former Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad, along with Chhaya Khajekar, Gokul Malke, Vijaysingh Zala, and Amruta Palodkar. It has been alleged that other political parties have also made appointments based on political considerations for the post of co-opted members.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 25.
