Appointment of CSMC co-opted members legally challenged

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Ex-BJP corporator Asha Binwade has legally challenged the appointment of co-opted members in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC).In response to an election petition filed by her before the civil judge (senior division) in Aurangabad, the court on May 6 issued notices to all respondents made in the case. Besides co-opted members, including six from BJP, senior civic officials, including former municipal commissioner has been made party in the case.Binwade said the appointment of co-opted members was illegal, in violation of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949 and Rules 4 and 5 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (Eligibility and Appointment of Nominated Corporators) Rules, 2012."The co-opted members must be administration experts, medical practitioners, educationists, financial professionals, engineers, advocates and NGO professionals. Instead, the appointments at CSMC are based on political adjustments," she said.Binwade said legal intervention is needed to set the right precedent while appointing co-opted members within the municipal corporation.Harshvardhan Karad, son of former Union Minister of state for Finance, Bhagwat Karad along with Chhaya Khajekar, Gokul Malke, Vijaysingh Zala and Amruta Palodkar are co-opted members of the BJP in the CSMC. Other parties too allegedly have made political appointments for the post of co-opted members. The next hearing in the case is scheduled on June 25.