As Shiv Sena (UBT) split buzz grows, Arvind Sawant urges Speaker not to recognise 'breakaway' bloc

Amid growing speculation of a possible split within the Shiv Sena UBT party MP Arvind Sawant has urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla not to recognise any faction claiming to represent the Uddhav Thackerayled party in ParliamentThe move comes against the backdrop of reports suggesting that a majority of the partys Lok Sabha MPs could be exploring the possibility of forming a separate group raising concerns about another political crisis within the opposition outfitSawant writes to Speaker over reports of possible splitIn a letter sent to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla late on Tuesday Sawant argued that the authority to determine party leadership in the House appoint a whip and issue directions regarding legislative conduct rests solely with the political party and not with individual lawmakers or a legislature group acting independentlyReferring to media reports about possible developments within the party Sawant said there were indications that some MPs elected on the Shiv Sena UBT symbol could seek recognition as a separate parliamentary group or explore a merger with another political partyHe requested that the letter be formally placed on record and urged the Speaker not to grant recognition privileges or facilities to any faction claiming to represent the party without first hearing the official leaderships positionParty insists there can be only one authorised leadershipSawant maintained that Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray continues to function as a single recognised political party represented in Parliament through its authorised leadership and whipAccording to him the constitutional framework does not permit multiple groups within Parliament to simultaneously claim representation of the same political party He argued that the legislature party derives its authority entirely from the parent political organisation and cannot function independently of itThere can be only one authorised party leadership one recognised whip and one recognised party structure functioning under the authority of the political party Sawant stated in the letterDefection law cited in appealThe Sena UBT leader also referred to provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution which governs disqualification on grounds of defectionCiting legal provisions related to mergers Sawant argued that constitutional protection is available only when there is both a merger of the original political party and support from at least twothirds of the members of the legislature party He stressed that these conditions must be fulfilled together and cannot be treated separatelySawant further noted that the constitutional provision earlier recognising a split within a political party was removed through the 91st Constitutional Amendment in 2003 As a result he argued lawmakers can no longer rely on a claim of division within a party as protection against disqualification proceedingsSupreme Court ruling invokedIn support of his argument Sawant referred to the Supreme Courts observations in the litigation arising from the 2022 Shiv Sena splitHe said the judgment reinforced the principle that the political party holds primacy over the legislature party Any attempt by a section of MPs to establish a separate leadership structure appoint a rival whip or function independently of the party organisation would be inconsistent with the constitutional framework he contendedSawant added that any request seeking recognition of a separate faction or a merger involving Shiv Sena UBT lawmakers would not be supported by existing constitutional provisionsPolitical speculation continuesThe letter comes at a time when speculation about an internal revolt within Shiv Sena UBT has intensified On Sunday several MPs did not attend a meeting convened by party chief Uddhav Thackeray in person and instead participated virtuallyAccording to party leaders Arvind Sawant Anil Desai Rajabhau Waje and Sanjay Patil attended the meeting physically while Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar Bhausaheb Wakchaure Nagesh Patil Ashtikar and Sanjay Deshmukh joined online MP Sanjay Jadhav reportedly spoke to Thackeray over the phoneAdding to the political intrigue Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut alleged on Tuesday night that money was being used to lure MPs from Maharashtra The claim was not accompanied by evidenceMeanwhile speculation about a possible rebellion gained further momentum after Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik indicated that legislators or MPs joining the Eknath Shindeled party would be welcomed and given priority within the organisationWith questions continuing over the loyalty of some MPs political observers are closely watching developments within Shiv Sena UBT and the party leaderships efforts to prevent another major split