E Shinde Faction Is “Real Sena”, Says Speaker. Setback For Team Thackeray

The sport, set and match in Maharashtra went in favour of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at this time as Speaker Rahul Narwekar declared that his faction was the “actual Shiv Sena” and the MLAs of his camp can’t be disqualified. Uddhav Thackeray didn’t have the ability to take away Eknath Shinde from Shiv Sena and the copy of the get together structure he produced is just not with the Election Fee, Mr Narwekar mentioned, whereas delivering his verdict on disqualification petitions pending for since June final yr. The disqualification petitions from each camps, although, have been dismissed by the Speaker.

The petitions have been filed when the Shiv Sena break up and Eknath Shinde, joined arms with the BJP, shaped authorities in Maharashtra, unseating then Chief Minister and Sena chief Mr Thackeray.

Mr Narwekar primarily based his selections on the model of the structure obtainable with the Election Fee, saying it can kind the premise of deciding on the management construction and from there, he would conclude which faction of the Shiv Sena ought to be thought of the true get together.

This model, he mentioned, was not the one submitted by Mr Thackeray in 2018, however the one which was there since 1999 which the Shinde faction was citing. Below that, it was clear that each one the factors have been in favour of the Chief Minister, mentioned Mr Narwekar.

The implication of the choice was that the whip issued by his faction stands and in an enormous setback to the Thackeray faction, the MLAs who supported him, stood an opportunity of being disqualified. The checklist had 14 of the 16 MLAs supporting Uddhav Thackeray. The Thackeray faction had filed disqualification petitions in opposition to 16 MLAs of the Shinde camp, together with the Chief Minister.

Mr Narwekar’s resolution got here after a lot prodding from the Supreme Court docket, which had lastly given the January 10 deadline.

In July final yr, Mr Narwekar, because the newly elected Speaker, had appointed Bharat Gogawale of the Eknath Shinde faction because the whip, eradicating Sunil Prabhu, who belonged to the Thackeray faction. He caught to that call at this time, regardless that it was held unhealthy in legislation.

Again then, Mr Narwekar had argued that it was as a result of Mr Gogawale was appointed by the legislature get together. However the coronary heart of the matter was which faction was the true Shiv Sena, he had mentioned.

“The (Supreme) courtroom has by no means mentioned that the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray is the political get together which truly represents the Shiv Sena or it’s the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde,” he had mentioned, stating that it was solely he who may take that call.

In February this yr, the Election Fee recognised the Eknath Shinde faction as the true Shiv Sena and gave it possession of the bow and arrow election image of the undivided get together based by the late Balasaheb Thackeray.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, one of many leaders supporting Mr Thackeray, slammed Mr Narwekar’s resolution, saying it was an “unlucky compromise of ethics”.