Sena vs Sena highlights: Big win for Eknath Shinde as Maharashtra Speaker gives verdict

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde said numbers were 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, he said.

Eknath Shinde was a long-time Sena worker and the then Maharashtra Public Works Department Minister. Shinde largely remained low profile until his turn to attain fame came in mid 2022. Shinde, along with a major chunk of Shiv Sena MLAs left the MVA and shook hands with the BJP. Shinde’s revolt left Thackeray’s faction in what the Supreme Court would later say a "hopeless minority".

The Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena had earlier said it had a "strong moral and constitutional case" and urged Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to take a decision on the disqualification pleas of MLAs at the earliest.

The Shiv Sena split into the Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde factions in 2022, after which the former filed petitions with the Speaker seeking disqualification of several MLAs belonging to the chief minister's camp.

"While we understand the process and the time required to take this decision. We have a strong moral and constitutional case, backed by the will of the legislative party, parliamentary party, workers and voters of the Shiv Sena," the Shinde-led group said in a statement.

Shiv Sena, founded as a right wing and pro-Marathi party, made Balasaheb Thackeray a stalwart in Maharashtra politics. Gradually, the party embraced the Hindutva ideology and thus, its proximity to BJP grew. Shiv Sena became a staunch BJP ally and remained a part of the NDA till 2019.

Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar has said he does not see any hurdle in issuing an order by January 10 on the cross-petitions filed by rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs.

Narwekar confirmed that the hearings have concluded, followed by arguments from both sides -- the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT).

NCP suffered a similar fate in July 2023, prompting Sharad Pawar loyalist Jayant Patil to move the top court, seeking a directive to Narwekar for a time-bound disposal of the disqualification petitions filed against Ajit Pawar and the MLAs backing him.

Patil’s petition was filed before the Supreme Court on September 24, lamenting that Narwekar was sitting over the disqualification petitions for the last three months. The Sharad Pawar camp filed three petitions for disqualification of rebel MLAs. The first petition was filed against nine MLAs, including Ajit Pawar; the second petition was against 20 MLAs; and the third against 11 MLAs.

In June 2022, Eknath Shinde and several MLAs rebelled against the then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena and fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

Cross-petitions were filed by the Shinde and Thackeray factions before the speaker seeking action against each other under anti-defection law.

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.

The Speaker will have to decide which of the two camps is the real Shiv Sena and who was the "authorised" leader of the Shiv Sena and on the cross-petitions by Shiv Sena factions seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs.

The Supreme Court ruled that it cannot reinstate the MVA government as then CM Uddhav Thackeray tendered his resignation without facing the floor test.

The court said the Governor was justified in administering the oath to Eknath Shinde as CM with the support of the largest party, BJP.

In February 2023, the Election Commission recognised the Shinde faction as the "real" Sena and alloted it the 'Shiv Sena' name and 'bow and arrow' symbol. The Thackeray faction was given the name Shiv Sena (UBT) with its symbol being a flaming torch.

The matter has its roots in June 2022 when Eknath Shinde and around 40 MLAs rebelled against then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena. Over a week, the rebel MLAs hopped from Gujarat's Surat to Assam's Guwahati as "resort politics" played out amid the political crisis in Maharashtra.

Shinde eventually joined hands with BJP, leading to the fall of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which also comprised the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. Shinde was made the Chief Minister while BJP's Devendra Fadnavis settled for the deputy CM post.

The cross examination of witnesses from the Thackeray faction by Shinde faction in the fourth leg of Sena vs Sena battle concluded at Vidhan Bhavan on Saturday. As the proceedings on the disqualification petition against chief minister Eknath Shinde enters a crucial stage, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena’s strategy has become clear – to do everything to keep the anti-defection law at bay. Read more

Upon disqualification, a member of a House loses membership, and the seat is declared vacant. A consistent line of Supreme Court rulings has held that disqualification relates back to the date when the act of defection takes place. Thus, it is not only the membership of the 39 lawmakers but also the position of Shinde as chief minister that is at stake.

At least 39 petitions were filed against Shinde and lawmakers who backed him during the rebellion last year. More than a dozen petitions remain pending against the legislators of the Thackeray group too.

The Supreme Court had extended by 10 days the December 31 deadline set by it earlier for the Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide on a bunch of disqualification petitions linked to the vertical split in the Shiv Sena, which had brought down the then Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last year.

In August 2022, the top court's three-judge bench referred to a five-judge Constitution bench for the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena about the Maharashtra political crisis.

After the apex court's order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.

On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30.

In May, a five-judge Constitution bench had held that it could not disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as chief minster because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the Assembly.

The political heat has risen in Maharashtra ahead of the crucial verdict by the assembly speaker on the cross-petitions by Shiv Sena factions seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs following a split in the party.

The outcome will decide the way forward for the Eknath Shinde government and also the regional outfit's rival groups.

Countering the serious allegations of "match fixing" raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) faction leader Sanjay Raut ahead of the verdict in the Shiv Sena MLA disqualification case, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the decision to be announced later in the day by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar will have to be made on merit.

Speaking with reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday, ahead of the verdict, CM Shinde said the Election Commission of India had allotted his faction the Shiv Sena name and symbol.

After Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena moved to the Supreme Court on the Speaker-Chief Minister meeting, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar slammed the former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and said that Thackeray should know for what purposes a speaker could meet a chief minister.

The speaker met Shinde at 'Varsha', the chief minister's official residence in south Mumbai, on January 7.

"He, being the former CM, must know about the role of speaker. Speakers do meet CM for many works but when Uddhav Thackeray was CM, he did get the time to know about what role the speaker has in assembly. There are many purposes for which a speaker could meet a chief minister," Rahul Narwekar told reporters on Wednesday.

On MLA disqualification verdict, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray says, "The judge is going to meet the accused, if the constitutional decision is taken then 40 MLAs will be disqualified...The government is trying to suppress the voices of those who are not in power"

On MLA disqualification verdict, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde today said he will give an official statement after 4 pm.

Speaking to the reporters, Speaker Narwekar, who is set to pronounce the verdict, said, "Today's order will be a benchmark and will serve justice to all."

Narwekar also said, "The 10th Schedule interpretation will be reflected in the order."