E-Paper
Uddhav camp's 'time up' jab after SC notice to Maharashtra speaker on disqualification pleas
Supreme Court issues notice to the Maharashtra assembly speaker over delay in deciding disqualification petitions against CM Eknath Shinde and 15 other MLAs.
Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Maharashtra assembly speaker Speaker Rahul Narvekar on a petition complaining against the delay in deciding on the disqualification petitions against Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and MLAs supporting him. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu Prabhu, in his capacity as chief whip of the undivided Shiv Sena, had filed the disqualification petitions against Shinde and other 15 MLAs last year after they rebelled and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.
Prabhu approached the apex court this month seeking a direction to the assembly speaker to hear the disqualification petitions expeditiously, claiming Narwekar was deliberately delaying the hearing despite the Supreme Court, in its May 11 judgement, asking the Speaker to decide on the petitions in a reasonable time period.
After the court's notice, Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi said in a tweet, “Time up for the traitor gang!”
Last Friday, Narwekar said he has received a copy of the Shiv Sena's constitution from the Election Commission of India, and the hearing on the disqualification petitions will start soon.
“Now we will start the hearing,” he said. When asked when exactly the process will start, Narwekar replied, “Soon.”
On May 11, the top court censured former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his decision calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority. Refusing to disqualify the 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs including Shinde, the bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the court cannot ordinarily adjudicate on disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law, and directed the Speaker to take a decision on the pending matter within a “reasonable period.”
Since then, politics has taken another dramatic turn, with several MLAs of the rival Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar, joining the BJP-Shiv Sena government. After Pawar's induction into the Maharashtra cabinet, speculations were rife about Shinde's exit from the government. But the chief minister refuted claims as rumours and asserted that the ruling alliance is stronger than ever.
(With PTI inputs)
