The Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to launch a mass campaign to educate the people about the “unjust" order passed by Speaker Rahul Narwekar in the MLAs disqualification case. Mr Narwekar did not disqualify any of the MLAs, but he ruled that the faction led by chief minister Eknath Shinde is the real Shiv Sena.
Aggrieved by this order, the Shiv Sena (UBT) has not only gone in appeal to the Supreme Court, but has also decided to inform the people about the faults in Mr Narwekar's verdict. As a part of this campaign, on Tuesday the party will hold a mega press conference and rally of activists at the Dome of the National Sports Club of India in Worli where legal experts will dissect Mr Narwekar's order and also take questions from media persons. The party is playing the victim card in a bid to garner sympathy in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections.
Uddhav moves SC against Maha speaker's 'Real Shiv Sena' verdict
Thackeray faction on Monday (January 15) filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Speaker's order declaring the Sena group led by Chief Minister Shinde as the "real political party" after its split in June 2022.
Narwekar, while pronouncing his order on January 10 in the Shiv Sena disqualification case, had also rejected the Thackeray faction's plea to disqualify 16 MLAs of the ruling camp, including Shinde.
The January 12 petitions argued that since the Speaker, in his order, has held Shinde represents the "real" Shiv Sena and that Gogavale was the legally appointed chief whip of the party, he (Speaker) ought to have disqualified the 14 Sena (UBT) MLAs for their actions against the saffron outfit.
"The final order passed by Speaker erroneously concludes that the grounds as raised by petitioner (Gogavale) are mere allegations and assertions on the part of the petitioner," the pleas said.
Narwekar's conclusion "illegall and cannot be sustained"
This conclusion by Narwekar was "ex facie illegal and cannot be sustained", they submitted.
The pleas said the pro-Thackeray MLAs voted contrary to the whip issued by Gogavale and this was part of the record of the Assembly and hence in no manner can be said to be a mere allegation.
Thackeray had stepped down as chief minister on June 29, 2022, after a section of Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Shinde, revolted against his leadership, leading to the collapse of the three-party MVA government.
The next day, Shinde took oath as the new chief minister of Maharashtra with support from the BJP, the largest party in the state Assembly.
The Shinde group had the support of 37 out of the total 54 Shiv Sena MLAs when the party split in June 2022, the Speaker had noted in his ruling.
(With inputs from PTI)
