Thackeray faction Sena also wants court to decide on the replacement of its legislative party leader and chief whip with members of the Eknath Shinde group, given the status of a separate group by the new Speaker
Shiv Sena members wait outside Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray’s residence to meet him at Kalanagar on Monday. Pic/Satej Shinde
The Supreme Court on Monday maintained status quo on the legislative developments that have taken place before and after the Shiv Sena breakaway faction and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power in Maharashtra last month.
The SC has been hearing the matter of disqualification of MLAs from the Shinde group as well as the Uddhav Thackeray faction. The Sena has also challenged the government formation and floor test that it won hands down. The SC on Monday asked newly-elected Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar not to proceed with the plea seeking the disqualification of the Thackeray-led faction’s MLAs.
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The Thackeray faction Sena also wants the court to decide on the replacement of its legislative party leader and chief whip with the members of the Shinde group. The Shinde group has been given the status of a separate group by Narwekar.
Sena MLC and former parliamentary affairs minister Anil Parab said his party’s pleas stood firm on legal grounds and it would get justice. He said the SC had allowed the floor test, but with a rider that its validity would be subject to the outcome of the case.
‘Illegal government’
Parab’s party colleague and MP Arvind Sawant said justice delayed was justice denied and expected the court to deliver its verdict as quickly as possible and relieve the state of an ‘illegal’ government.
Shinde group’s spokesperson, Deepak Kesarkar, said all the matters were sorted by now. “The new Speaker has been elected. Floor test is done and the subjects related to disqualification have no meaning because all have been given justice.”
Cabinet expansion?
It has been said that Shinde and BJP delayed the expansion of their cabinet because of the hearing which was scheduled in the SC on Monday. A status quo means they might have a new team in place as early as possible, said a leader, adding that only two persons, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have been working.
“It is high time the top leaders inducted ministers, if not full strength, but some who can assist them in the time of crisis like a flood situation in the state,” said a senior political functionary. “The cabinet expansion is likely to be held after the presidential polls on July 18,” said Kesarkar.
On Monday, the CM and DyCM kept their schedules aside and visited rain-hit Gadchiroli district to supervise floods. Almost every part of the state has received rainfall and some places continue to get heavy rain. Gadchiroli has been given a red alert for the next two days. Governance had come to a standstill since the rebellion took the former government by storm on June 21.
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