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Let EC decide on ‘real’ Sena, Shinde asks Supreme Court
This was in response to the Thackeray camp’s petition filed before the SC, asking the top court to stop the ECI from taking any decision until a verdict on a bunch of petitions seeking disqualification of rebel Sena MLAs led by Shinde.
Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde in a fresh affidavit filed before the Supreme Court pleaded to quash pleas filed by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and said the Election Commission of India (ECI) should be allowed to decide which faction of the party is the “real” Shiv Sena.
This was in response to the Thackeray camp’s petition filed before the SC, asking the top court to stop the ECI from taking any decision until a verdict on a bunch of petitions seeking disqualification of rebel Sena MLAs led by Shinde. The ECI has sought evidence from both the Sena camps by August 8 after it was approached by the Shinde faction. “A group of 15 MLAs cannot call a group of 39 as rebels. It is in fact the other way around,” Shinde stated in his affidavit.
“The election commission deals with the issue of party recognition and election symbols. If all the parties start coming to the SC, then what is the point of having such an authority,” said a close aide of Shinde’s.
The affidavit also said that the issue of disqualification of MLAs should be dealt with by the Speaker and the SC should not intervene in this. It also mentions that the petition filed by the Thackeray camp challenging governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s decision to hold a floor test became infructuous following the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray from the post of chief minister. Since Thackeray resigned from the position no floor test took place then, it added.
Amid uncertainty over expansion of the Shinde-Fadnavis government, the Supreme Court has postponed the hearing on a clutch of petitions related to the split in the Shiv Sena by two days. It has now listed the hearing in the case for August 3, shifting it from August 1. There are apprehensions that the development may further delay the much-awaited cabinet expansion of the state government. The delay is believed to be because of the legal issues pending before the apex court as the verdict by the top court could have a bearing on the government.
Meanwhile, chief minister Shinde on Saturday evening met Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi. The duo reportedly discussed expansion issues during their 45-minute meeting at the Delhi airport.
On Sunday, Shinde reiterated that the expansion of his cabinet is going to happen soon. “Very soon, the cabinet will be expanded. Deputy chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis) and I have been working for the people ever since we came to power. We have decided to provide ₹50,000 incentives to farmers, reduced VAT on fuel prices, brought down power tariffs for farmers under the lift irrigation scheme, among other decisions,” the chief minister said, making a point that the functioning of the government was unaffected.
Shinde took oath as chief minister on June 30.
