Hearing on NCP MLAs’ disqualification pleas from Jan 23

Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar will start hearing petitions seeking the disqualification of NCP MLAs from rival factions from January 23. The hearing was postponed as one faction demanded four days to study new affidavits. The verdict is unlikely to be given by January 31, as set by the Supreme Court. The hearing process is expected to conclude by January 31, with an additional 8-10 days required to pronounce the verdict. The speaker may request the Supreme Court for more time.

Mumbai: Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar will start hearing petitions seeking the disqualification of MLAs from rival factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) from January 23. Though the hearing was supposed to commence on Saturday, with statements of witnesses being recorded, it was postponed as the faction headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar demanded four days’ time to study new affidavits submitted by the Sharad Pawar faction. The speaker is thus unlikely to give the verdict in the case by January 31, the date set by the Supreme Court.

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As soon as the proceedings started on Saturday, the counsel representing Ajit Pawar’s faction pointed out that the rival faction had submitted some new affidavits on Friday, and they needed at least four days to study the same. Though the counsel representing Sharad Pawar faction tried to oppose it, Narwekar said that it was necessary to provide them with reasonable time so as to give a proper hearing to both factions. With the consent of both factions, he postponed the hearing to January 23 and declared a new time-table, indicating the hearing process would be concluded by January 31 and an additional 8-10 days would be required to pronounce the verdict. The speaker is likely to request the Supreme Court for more time to adjudicate over the disqualification petitions.

Leader and chief whip of the Ajit Pawar faction Anil Patil welcomed the speaker’s decision, saying, “The Sharad Pawar faction submitted some affidavits on January 19. It was impossible to study it in 24 hours as we need to cross check the witnesses. So, we requested four days to study the documents. The speaker accepted our request and postponed today’s hearing to January 23.” He said that their faction had submitted the affidavits of some MLAs like Ashok Pawar and Atul Benke in support of Ajit Pawar again owing to rumours in the media.

Patil also said that they had submitted documents showing Sharad Pawar repeatedly saying that there would be a change of guard in the party, which indirectly confirmed the unrest in the party. “Statements regarding change of guard in the party by Sharad Pawar was proof that he accepted that there was unrest in the party,” said Patil.

Jayant Patil, state president of the Sharad Pawar faction, wondered whether the new timetable was fixed with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections as the process was delayed for months. “I came to the hearing today hoping that my statement would be registered. But the other faction requested that they need some more time to study the documents we produced and the speaker declared a new timetable,” said Patil. He said that some MLAs had shifted allegiance several times in the past few months, so they would have to check the documents. “Our counsel has requested for a copy of documents submitted by the other side,” he said.

Patil also slammed Anil Patil’s statement regarding change of guard in the party. “Anil Patil was a newcomer in the NCP. He joined the party before the assembly elections in 2019 as the BJP denied him ticket. So he has no right to speak about the change of guard in NCP,” he said.

Schedule for hearing

January 23, 24: Speaker to hear four witnesses from the Sharad Pawar faction – Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, Hemant Takale and Amol Kolhe

January 25: Speaker to hear witnesses from the Ajit Pawar faction

January 29: Deadline for written submissions from both factions

January 30: Speaker to hear final argument of both factions

January 31: Conclusion of the hearing; verdict after 8-10 days