Corporators’ disqualification setback for NCP

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION Sources said the three Digha corporators are planning to approach the high court for a stay; opposition parties predict NCP’s downfall

A day after the three corporators from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) were disqualified, the opposition parties are confidant of ruling party losing ground.

On Tuesday, after months of hearings, municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe disqualified three corporators from Digha for their involvement in illegal construction.

The election department of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) had issued show cause notices on April 21 to corporators Navin Gavte (ward 4), his wife Aparna Gavte (ward 9) and sister-in-law Deepa Gavte (ward 3).

The three are accused of illegal constructions in Digha, which is in the midst of a major controversy of demolition of illegal buildings ordered by the Bombay high court.

The order signed by Mundhe on July 16 states that each of the corporators “is hereby disqualified as the councillor of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation u/s 10(1D) of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949, for the remainder of the term as a councillor of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation.”

The Gavtes refused to comment.

Sources said they are planning to approach the high court for a stay.

They have earlier denied any wrong doing claiming they have not resorted to any illegal construction in the area.

Suraj Patil, city NCP (youth) president, said: “Just because we have lost three corporators in the house, does not mean we have lost the majority. We still have the requisite numbers with the support of the independents and the Congress. Hence, the claims by the opposition mean little and are just hype and propaganda.”

He added, “Our leader Ganesh Naik is perfectly capable of handling such situations. The NCP is the ruling party and will continue to be so.”

The disqualification is a boost for the opposition which has declared that it is targeting the mayor’s post.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) city president and corporator Ramchandra Gharat said, “The NCP is already short of majority in the house and losing three corporators will make it worse for them. The standing committee is led by a Shiv Sena corporator. The NCP does not even have a majority in it now with both sides boasting of eight members as the Congress member is expected to support the opposition.”

He added, “Avinash Lad of the Congress is the deputy mayor. With all the major posts in the civic body, the NCP is left with little to show that it is still in power. We will now work out plans to get the mayor’s post which is definitely going to happen.”