Eknath Shinde faction is the real Shiv Sena in Assembly and its MLAs cannot be held disqualified, ruled the Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar while deciding the disqualification petitions against the Chief Minister and several MLAs whose rebellion had split the Shiv Sena last year.
The Speaker further added that Eknath Shinde was validly appointed as leader of the Shiv Sena.
Uddhav Thackeray had no power to remove Eknath Shinde, said the Speaker, adding that Shiv Sena president doesn’t hold the decision making powers but the Rashtriya Karyakarini.
The 1999 constitution of Shiv Sena, relied upon by Eknath Shinde, has been accepted, the Speaker added further.
In June 2022, Eknath Shinde and several MLAs rebelled against then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a split in the Sena and the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which also comprised the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.
Here are the HIGHLIGHTS:
Get NDTV UpdatesTurn on notifications to receive alerts as this story develops.
Numbers Matter In Democracy, We Have Them: Eknath Shinde On Speaker’s Ruling
Eknath Shinde said numbers are important in democracy, and the Shiv Sena led by him has the numbers as against the rival faction led by Uddhav Thackeray. Reacting to the Maharashtra assembly Speaker’s ruling which said his faction was the real Shiv Sena, Shinde also said that the party chief’s individual opinion cannot be the opinion of the entire party. Even the Election Commission of India allotted the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena to his party, he noted.
“Why Were We Not Disqualified,” Uddhav Thackeray Questions Speaker’s Move
The decision of Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwkar, declaring the faction of the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the real party, is a violation of Supreme Court order and is a “ploy to kill democracy”. Speaking to reporters after the Speaker’s announcement, Mr Thackeray also indicated that his Shiv Sena UBT faction may also file a challenge in court. Mr Narwekar, he alleged, was put in place by the Shinde faction.
“Will Fight It Legally”: Aaditya Thackeray After Speaker Says Shinde Faction Real Sena
The party will fight it legally, said Aaditya Thackeray, reacting to the Speaker’s decision that the Shinde faction is the real Shiv Sena.
No Material To Prove Shinde Faction Colluded With BJP: Speaker
The Uddhav Thackeray camp has not provided any material to back their allegation that Shinde faction was acting in concert with the BJP, said the Speaker.
It is opportunistic and unfortunate compromise of ethics, said Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Uddhav Thackeray faction, reacting to the Maharashtra Speaker declaring Shinde faction as the real Sena.
How The Speaker Decided
The Speaker based his decisions on the version of the constitution available with the Election Commission, saying it will form the basis of deciding on the leadership structure and from there, he would conclude which faction of the Shiv Sena should be considered the real party.
Eknath Shinde Camp MLAs Cannot Be Held Disqualified, Rules Speaker
Eknath Shinde camp MLAs cannot be held disqualified, ruled Maharashtra Speaker deciding the disqualification petition against Chief Minister and his MLAs.
Eknath Shinde Faction Is Real Shiv Sena In Assembly, Decides Speaker
Eknath Shinde faction is the real Shiv Sena in Assembly, ruled the Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar while deciding the disqualification petitions against the Chief Minister and several MLAs whose rebellion had split the Shiv Sena last year. The Speaker further added that Eknath Shinde was validly appointed as leader of Shiv Sena.
No Consensus On Constitution Submitted By Sena Factions: Maharashtra Speaker
“There is no consensus on the constitution submitted by both the parties (two factions of Shiv Sena) to the EC. The two parties have different points of views on leadership structure. The only aspect is the majority in the legislature party. I will have to decide the relevant constitution to be taken into account to the leadership structure that existed before the dispute….,” said Rahul Narwekar, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker.
Eknath Shinde on Saturday said he rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership and split the Shiv Sena in June 2022 only to save the party. “I took the stand with honesty and with the intention of saving the party,” said Mr Shinde who toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government of the Sena, Congress and NCP, and formed an alliance with the BJP to become chief minister.
Earlier this week, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said his detractors see him in their dreams despite stealing the party’s name and symbol, adding that he knows the people of Maharashtra are with him. “Despite stealing my party’s name and symbol, the detractors see me in their dreams. They know Uddhav Thackeray is not alone, that all of Maharashtra is with him,” Mr Thackeray said.
What Election Commission Did
The Election Commission gave the ‘Shiv Sena’ name and ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the Shinde-led faction, while the one headed by Thackeray was to be called Shiv Sena (UBT) with its symbol being a flaming torch.
Numbers In Our Favour, Says Eknath Shinde Ahead Of Speaker’s Ruling
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said numbers were stacked in favour of the Shiv Sena led by him as assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar is set to give a ruling on disqualification petitions filed by the two warring Sena factions. Even the Election Commission has recognised that the majority of Shiv Sena lawmakers were with his faction, Mr Shinde said.
Maharashtra MLAs’ Disqualification Row: How It All began
In June 2022, Eknath 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 Thackeray and Mr Shinde factions then filed petitions against each other’s legislators, seeking disqualification under the anti-defection law. Of 56 MLAs of the undivided Shiv Sena, 40 are with Mr Shinde.
Supreme Court Deadline To Decide On Disqualification Requests Ends Today
The Supreme Court last month extended the deadline to January 10 for Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide on the cross-petitions filed by rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other’s MLAs.
Uddhav Thackeray Objects To Speaker, Chief Minister Meeting
Uddhav Thackeray said his party filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Tuesday objecting to a recent meeting between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is among the MLAs whose disqualification has been sought, and speaker Rahul Narwekar as both sides engaged in a verbal spat.
