AIMIM Faces Setback as BMC Cancels Corporator's Membership Over Invalid OBC Certificate

AIMIM's Membership Crisis in BMC

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has encountered a significant setback within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The membership of Roshan Sheikh, a corporator elected from Ward No. 138 in Govandi, has been revoked by the BMC with immediate effect. This decisive action follows the Caste Scrutiny Committee's declaration that his Other Backward Class (OBC) caste certificate is invalid and illegal. Since Sheikh won his election on a seat reserved for OBC candidates, the invalidation of his certificate has led to the annulment of his election.

Invalidation of OBC Caste Certificate

According to an official notification from the BMC, the district caste certificate verification committee from Parbhani invalidated Roshan Sheikh's OBC caste certificate on April 27, 2026. This certificate was originally issued in November 2025. Following the committee's ruling, the BMC initiated the process to terminate his corporator membership.

Automatic Termination of Membership Under Law

Sheikh had secured his position in the 2026 BMC elections from the OBC-reserved seat in Govandi's Ward 138. However, with the invalidation of his caste certificate, the municipal body announced that his membership automatically ceased under Section 16(1C)(a) of the Mumbai Municipal Act of 1888. The BMC's notification also clarified that his disqualification would be effective from April 27, 2026, the date when the caste scrutiny committee made its decision.

Another AIMIM Corporator Disqualified

Earlier in June, another AIMIM corporator, Shamir Ramzan Patel, lost his seat in the BMC after a scrutiny committee invalidated his OBC caste certificate. Patel was elected from the OBC-reserved seat in Ward No. 137 in Govandi. During a general assembly meeting of the BMC on June 22, Mayor Ritu Tawde stated that the district caste scrutiny committee had declared Patel's caste certificate invalid, resulting in his disqualification. Just days before Patel's disqualification, a similar fate befell Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Deepak Sawant.

Legal Implications

Under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, it is mandatory for representatives elected from reserved seats to possess valid caste certificates and caste validity certificates, where applicable. If a competent authority later invalidates the caste certificate, the membership of the elected representative automatically terminates under the relevant legal provisions.