While setting aside an order of the state government suspending five nominated councillors of the Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation, the Bombay High Court recently observed that the state need not intervene “only to oblige a political party in power”.
The court was hearing a petition filed by nominated councillors Siddheshwar Moglappa, Rahul Khatke, Mohammad Sajid Ashfaq Khan, Devanand Thale and Harshad Pramod Patil, challenging their suspension order dated November 27, 2018.
On July 12, 2018, the municipal corporation had passed a resolution to appoint the five petitioners — belonging to the Congress — as nominated councillors exclusively on the basis of the social welfare work they had done.