Today, Supreme Court of India has issued notice to Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar on a petition challenging delay to decide the disqualification petitions against Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and other MLAs.
Last year, Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu Prabhu, had filed the disqualification petitions against Shinde and 15 MLAs after they rebelled and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.
Recently, Sunil Prabhu approached the Supreme Court 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.”
Last month, the Supreme Court has censured former Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his decision calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority.
While rejecting to disqualify the 16 MLAs including Shinde, the bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud said the court cannot ordinarily adjudicate on disqualification petitions under the anti-defection law.
Further, the Court 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.
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