Invalid Caste Certificate Case: After Bombay HC's Refusal, Maharashtra Congress Candidate Moves Supreme Court

Congress candidate Rashmi Barve from Maharashtra's Ramtek has now moved Supreme Court in order to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as Bombay High Court refused to interfere.

She had moved the Bombay HC when her caste certificate was found to be invalid by the district caste certificate scrutiny committee a day after she filed her nomination papers.

While the Bombay HC stayed the Order of the Caste Scrutiny based on the observation that the Barve's caste certificate was rejected in hasty manner reflecting mala fide intent, it refused to restore her nomination.

The court observed that since the election process began from 20 March, it cannot interfere in the cancellation of nomination. Barve then moved the apex court and requested an urgent hearing on the matter.

The plea seeks a stay on the nomination cancellation order, so that she can contest the election. Kaushik Chowdhury is representing Barve in the top court and has sought mentioning on Monday (8 April).

If Barve's nomination remains canceled, Maharashtra's ruling coalition Mahayuti might get a walkover in Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency.

A caste certificate is important because Ramtek is a constituency reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates. Notably, Barve contested the Lok Sabha election here in 2019 also but lost to the undivided Shiv Sena's candidate.

This time, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), now part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) along with Congress and Shard Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), too wanted to contest Ramtek.

However, the Congress declared its candidate from Ramtek before Shiv Sena (UBT) could do so, responding to which the party MP Sanjay Raut said there are no disputes over seat-sharing as the Shiv Sena accepted Congress' move.

Former Congress MLA from Umred, an assembly segment falling under Ramtek Lok Sabha seat, Raju Parwe is the Mahayuti candidate from here. He had recently joined the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.