Mumbai By-Election: Thackeray faction candidate Rutuja Latke petitions the High Court to protest the "delay" in accepting her resignation

Rutuja Latke, 45, the widow of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke from the Andheri East Assembly Constituency, has filed a petition with the Bombay High Court saying that the BMC engaged in "discriminatory" behaviour by refusing to accept her resignation so that she may run in the bye-elections.

 

Rutuja, a clerk with the BMC since 2006, has asked that the BMC be instructed to accept her letter of resignation. Latke served as an MLA until his passing on May 11. In her suit, Rutuja claims that on September 22, the BMC denied her plea to be allowed to run in the byelections. She had hoped to unwind before the findings were announced. According to the civic organization's service standards, employees are not permitted to run for office.

 

She resigned and pushed for a waiver of the one-month notice requirement to fight the by-election when the Election Commission announced the by-elections on October 3. The departments where she had worked thereafter provided her with all applicable dues and no inquiry certifications. She was required to pay one month's salary in the amount of Rs 67,590 after verification, which she did.

 

According to her argument, nominations must be submitted by October 14th. Rutuja filed a case with the HC after BMC took so long to accept her resignation, claiming that the corporation's failure to do so "appears to be purposeful to prevent her from contesting the by-elections."

 

Additionally, she stated that the BMC could not refuse to accept her resignation letter once she had met all conditions and had been given permission to pay the notice pay. Her argument claims that BMC can only allow the payment of notice pay at the time the resignation is accepted, citing a service guideline. She claims that the respondents (BMC) "had, in reality, accepted the petitioner's resignation" because they "permitted the petitioner to pay the notice pay amount."

 

 

 

 

 

Rutuja cited Hemangi Worlikar as an example of an employee who was able to quit the BMC without having to give a one-month notice period. She claims in her appeal that the BMC's actions are "discriminatory," adding that "the petitioner has been singled out without any valid reasons."

 

She has sought the HC to "declare that she has duly resigned" from employment to BMC as an alternative. She has also begged that she be given permission "to fill her nomination form" while the petition is being heard and decided. A division bench led by justice Nitin Jamdar heard her plea and decided to keep it for hearing on Thursday.

 

 

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