Maharashtra legislative Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar is set to announce verdict on the disqualification petitions filed by the two warring Sena factions- Eknath Shinde faction, and Uddhav Thackeray faction.Â
The political temperature rose in Maharashtra on Tuesday ahead of the crucial verdict by the assembly speaker on the cross-petitions by Shiv Sena factions seeking disqualification of each other’s MLAs following a split in the party, an outcome which will decide the way forward for the Eknath Shinde government and also the regional outfit’s rival groups.
In June 2022, Shinde and dozens of other Shiv Sena MLAs rebelled against then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a split in the Sena and fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government.
The disqualification petitions were filed by both Shinde and Thackeray factions against each other’s legislators, seeking disqualification under the anti-defection law. Of 56 MLAs of the undivided Shiv Sena, 40 are with Shinde.
The Supreme Court had on 15 December 2023 extended the deadline for Narwekar to decide the disqualification petitions from 31 December to 10 January.
While extending the deadline for deciding the disqualification petitions till January 10, the Supreme Court had said the sanctity of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution should be maintained.
The top court had also asked the speaker to decide the NCP’s petition seeking disqualification of nine MLAs of the Ajit Pawar group by January 31, 2024. In July last year, the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP also joined the Shinde-led government.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MLA Sunil Prabhu, who was the chief whip of the undivided Shiv Sena had filed the disqualification petitions against Eknath Shinde and other MLAs in 2022.
Later, a separate plea was filed by the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for a direction to the speaker to expeditiously decide the disqualification petitions against deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and party MLAs loyal to him.
The 10th Schedule of the Constitution is designed to prevent defection of elected and nominated members of Parliament and state legislatures from political parties on whose ticket they win, and contains stringent provisions against it under which they can be disqualified.
The delay in deciding the disqualification petitions against Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs loyal to him had come under strict scrutiny by the apex court which had come down hard on the assembly speaker at previous hearings, saying the proceedings cannot be reduced to a charade and that he cannot “defeat” its orders.
On Tuesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed confidence and said that numbers were stacked in favour of the Shiv Sena led by him.
Even the Election Commission has recognised that the majority of Shiv Sena lawmakers were with his faction, Shinde told reporters here. “Numbers are important in democracy. We have a majority in the assembly and Lok Sabha,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) of Uddhav Thackeray denounced in Supreme Court the “highly improper” meeting between Maharashtra CM Shinde and Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, barely three days before the deadline set by the apex court for the latter to decide cross-petitions filed by rival Sena factions seeking disqualification of several of each other’s MLAs.
According to news reports, Narwekar met Shinde at ‘Varsha’, the chief minister’s official residence on January 7.
Assembly polls in Maharashtra are due in the second half of 2024.
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Published: 10 Jan 2024, 07:24 AM IST