The 1999 constitution of Shiv Sena, relied upon by Eknath Shinde, has been accepted, says Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar as he delved into reasons while deciding the disqualification petitions against the Chief Minister and several MLAs whose rebellion had split the Shiv Sena last year.
The leadership structure of Shiv Sena dated 2018 alone is accepted, said the Speaker.
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.
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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.
