EC is doing injustice to lost candidates of Shiv Sena: Waikar

Mumbai, June 6 (UNI) Criticising the Election Commission (EC) for its partisan attitude, Standing Committee chairman of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Ravindra Waikar today alleged the EC and collectors of various areas are doing injustice to Shiv Sena candidates, who lost the civic polls held in February, by rejecting their caste certificates and favouring the Congress candidates.

''There are many cases pending against the winning candidates from Congress for producing fake caste certificates, and the EC has cancelled the certificates of only the Shiv Sena-BJP candidates and not of a single Congress candidate despite cases pending against them,'' Mr Waikar alleged while addressing a news conference here.

After disqualification of 6 Shiv Sena councillors, their number may come down after the court decides against them. In addition to the Sene-BJP councillors, there are independent candidates and candidates from the Samajwadi Party.

Ashok Hadkar, the runner-up from ward number 214, had complained against the caste certificate of Congress' Pramod Mandrekar.

Similarly, Dhanashree Pawar of the Sena had complained against Shakuntala Mane of Congress and the Municipal Corporator from ward number 195.

Mr Hadkar, in his complaint, stated that Mr Mandrekar does not belong to OBC and there are cases pending against him in various places for producing fake certifcates from a school in Andheri.

He said since the Revenue Ministry belongs to Sena rebel Narayan Rane, who is at loggerheads with Sena's excutive president Uddhav Thackeray, no Congress candidate has been disqualified despite many irregularities in their documentation.

Ms Pawar, who has complained against Ms Mane's election, said '' according to documents submitted by Ms Mane, she was admitted to a Municipal school at Worli in 1962 and given a leaving certificate in 1966. She had studied till sixth standard which is not possible.

In spite of many complaints, no action had been taken against the irregularities and the fake certificates.'' Mr Waikar said ''Our corporators have approached the court and along with them we will submit the irregularities of the Congress candidates and ask for a judicial enquiry in the allegations of Sena corporators.'' UNI