Seating arrangements, disqualification petitions among fireworks expected in monsoon session

However, in a letter submitted to the speaker on Sunday, the Sharad Pawar faction has requested that barring the nine newly sworn-in ministers, all other NCP members should be allotted seats on the opposition side. Additionally, party whip Jitendra Awhad has sent over a petition to the speaker, asking for the disqualification of the nine ministers who defected from the NCP

MUMBAI: When the monsoon session of the state assembly begins on Monday, one place expected to be at the epicentre of high-voltage activity is the office of assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar. Right from the issue of recognition to the rebel faction of the NCP to the disqualification of members from two factions of the Shiv Sena and now the Ajit Pawar faction are the red-hot issues that will enliven and probably scorch the assembly session.

The official said that after the split in the NCP, only the Sharad Pawar faction had filed disqualification petitions against the nine ministers from the Ajit faction, while the latter had not. “However, the speaker has not served any notices to the Ajit faction in response to the petitions against them,” he said. “He is unlikely to begin the process anytime soon.” (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

Seating arrangements too are expected to be contentious. Given the entry of Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP into the government, the state legislature is expected to seat his MLAs on the treasury side with the BJP and Shiv Sena members. This is being done on the basis of the letter sent by deputy chief minister Ajit to the speaker, where, while formally informing the speaker about his NCP faction joining the government, he has asked for this arrangement.

However, in a letter submitted to the speaker on Sunday, the Sharad Pawar faction has requested that barring the nine newly sworn-in ministers, all other NCP members should be allotted seats on the opposition side. Additionally, party whip Jitendra Awhad has sent over a petition to the speaker, asking for the disqualification of the nine ministers who defected from the NCP.

NCP state chief Jayant Patil said that the decision on the seating arrangement had to be taken by the speaker. Patil claimed that 19 party MLAs were with the Sharad Pawar faction. “The other MLAs too are emotionally with Pawar saaheb,” he said.

“The seating arrangement of members of both NCP factions has been done after Ajit Pawar submitted a letter to the speaker,” said a senior official of the state legislature. “It has no bearing on recognition to either of the factions.”

Besides the seating arrangements, speaker Narwekar will have to deal with other contentious issues like the disqualification of MLAs from the Shiv Sena and nine ministers from the rebel faction of the NCP. “The disqualification petitions are unlikely to be heard immediately,” said the official. “The speaker has begun the process related to the Shiv Sena MLAs but the actual hearing will begin only after the monsoon session.”

The official said that after the split in the NCP, only the Sharad Pawar faction had filed disqualification petitions against the nine ministers from the Ajit faction, while the latter had not. “However, the speaker has not served any notices to the Ajit faction in response to the petitions against them,” he said. “He is unlikely to begin the process anytime soon.”

After the split in the NCP, the opposition, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, has been reduced to around 70 members. Although it is not mandatory to announce the leader of the opposition, the speaker is expected to respond to the demand by the Congress, which has emerged as the largest opposition party, and announce the name on the first day of the monsoon session.

“In the wake of the recent petition by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, the speaker has served notices to 54 MLAs from both factions of the Sena,” said an official from the legislature. “Some of them have sought additional time to submit their stance. The SC on Friday asked the speaker to file an affidavit in two weeks. The state legislature will file it apprising the apex court about the status of the notices.”