Leaders of OBC organisations warn that if such candidates win the elections, they would move court seeking their disqualification.
Peeved by the trend of politicians from the open category obtaining the caste validation certificates to contest the civic elections from other backward class (OBC) quota, some OBC organisations in the city are planning to launch a campaign against “the quota invasion”.
Leaders of OBC organisations warn that if such candidates win the elections, they would move court seeking their disqualification. They had moved the Bombay high court seeking disqualification of 12 such candidates who won the 2007 elections and the petition is pending.
The anger of OBC organisations has been fuelled because a total of 1,502 caste validation certificates in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have been issued without going for scrutiny by the vigilance committee. According to the district welfare officer, 2,193 applications for caste certificates and caste validity certification were received. Till date 1,650 validity certificates have been issued, of which only 148 certificates went through the vigilance committee.
District welfare officer, Manisha Phule said the issue of referring the certificates to the vigilance committee is a matter of discretion for the social welfare board.
Krishnakant Kudale, president of OBC Sangharsha Sangathana, said this is a ploy by politicians of some castes to deny the OBCs their right. “This way these castes get their members elected from the open category and also eat up the chunk of OBC quota,” he said.
He said after the 2007 civic polls, the OBC organisations had challenged in the high court the victory of 12 candidates who were elected from the OBC quota. “That case is still pending in the court. Now if more such candidates win the elections, there would be more challenges,” he said.
Kudale said this year at least 50 politicians cutting across party lines, were invading the OBC quota.
“This is unacceptable. OBC organisations oppose it and I am sure people will not be voting for such opportunistic politicians,” he said.
When asked if the OBC organisations will campaign against such candidates to ensure their defeat, Kudale said, “Due to the model code of conduct, campaigning or propaganda on caste lines cannot be done. So if anybody is going to do any opposition now, it will have to be a whispering campaign.”
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