Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal on Thursday said that the Maharashtra assembly speaker turning down the pleas demanding disqualification of chief minister Eknath Shinde faction's lawmakers was a “play scripted long ago”. In a social media post on X, Sibal called the speaker's decision a ‘farce’ being played out with no recourse.
“Speaker (as Tribunal): Shindes faction is real Sena. The play was scripted long ago…We watch the farce being played out with no recourse…That is the tragedy of this ‘mother of democracy’,” Sibal said.
In a significant victory for the ruling coalition, Assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday ruled that Shinde's faction was the real Shiv Sena and turned down demands to disqualify either faction’s lawmakers.
Read | What does Assembly Speaker’s verdict on Shiv Sena mean for Maharashtra politics
Narwekar said the 10th schedule of the Constitution could not be invoked to use to quell intraparty dissent and indiscipline, and turned down the demand to disqualify Shinde and his 38 lawmakers from the House.
He, however, also rejected the Shinde faction’s plea to disqualify 14 members of legislative assembly (MLA) from the Thackeray faction, citing certain technical flaws.
{{/usCountry}}He, however, also rejected the Shinde faction’s plea to disqualify 14 members of legislative assembly (MLA) from the Thackeray faction, citing certain technical flaws.
{{/usCountry}}In his order on disqualification petitions filed by Shinde-led Sena and the rival faction led by Uddhav Thackeray against each other's MLAs, Narwekar said Sunil Prabhu of the Sena (UBT) ceased to be the whip from June 21, 2022, and Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde group became the authorised whip.
“All the petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs are rejected. No MLA is being disqualified,” Narwekar observed.
Read | Aspirations of Marathi manoos still with Uddhav while Shinde makes off with party flag
The ruling cemented Shinde place in the top job, 18 months after his rebellion, and added to his political heft in the ruling coalition which also consists of the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Shinde took a swipe at the Uddhav Sena and its MVA partner Congress, saying that the ruling came as a 'shock' to "people who run political parties through dynasties".
Speaking to reporters after the Speaker's ruling, the chief minister said, "This is the victory of truth, of democracy. This is the victory of Shiv Sena workers and the people of Maharashtra. In a democracy, majority matters. So, as I see it, this decision is based on merit. Nobody can use a political party as private property. This ruling has come as a big shock to people, who run political parties through dynasties."
(With PTI inputs)