BMC headquarters in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: The BJP-led state government has written to the BMC saying Shiv Sena councillor from Ghatkopar Tukaram Patil is ineligible to be corporator owing to his alleged involvement in construction of commercial structures and asked the civic body to complete the process of disqualifying him within a month.

The state’s urban development department issued an order on Monday. “Patil violated Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act 16 (1D), and under Section 18-1-A (2) he is not eligible to be a corporator. The BMC needs to complete the process of his disqualification within a month,” the order, received by BMC on Thursday, read.

The order comes in the wake of a complaint filed by a BJP corporator from a neighbouring ward, Sakshi Dalvi, and following a Bombay high court directive stating that action must be taken on the complaint in accordance with the law.

But Sena leaders in BMC said the order was wrong as Patil had no connection with the illegal structures. BMC officials stated they have asked for legal opinion on the matter. Civic officials said that the issue is sensitive since the Shiv Sena rules the BMC and BJP leads the state government. The allies have tried to outscore each other on various issues.

Patil, a first-time corporator, allegedly constructed two illegal structures on LBS Marg in Ghatkopar (W) many years ago after encroaching on the footpath. A decade ago, when the BMC wanted to demolish these structures, he had approached the court against the BMC’s move. He lost the case in the city civil court in 2013, after which the BMC demolished the structures last year. However, Patil allegedly reconstructed the structures after he was elected corporator in 2017. He had earlier claimed that he had no connection with the structures and that someone else conducted operations there. Patil was unavailable for comment.

However, Dalvi said, “Patil obtained the BMC’s shops and establishments licence for the two structures in his and his wife’s name. The licence is valid till 2019, and it proves the structures belong to him.”

Sena corporator and standing committee chairman Yashwant Jadhav said, “Patil is an elected representative and a responsible person. He is not linked to the illegal constructions, and the order issued by the government is wrong. We are seeking legal opinion on the matter.”

