In Brief
Reserved-category candidates for municipal council positions in Maharashtra must submit a valid caste certificate from the Scrutiny Committee within six months of election. When candidates failed to do so, they challenged the automatic retrospective termination of their elections. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's conclusion that the statutory requirement is mandatory, not directory. Individual hardships cannot excuse non-compliance. The legislature's deliberate deletion and reintroduction of the relevant proviso demonstrated a clear intent to enforce strict compliance, regardless of circumstances beyond a candidate's control. All special leave petitions were dismissed.
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