In a stern reprimand, the highest judicial authority in India, the Supreme Court, lambasted the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker for the protracted stagnation in addressing disqualification petitions involving Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 56 disaffected Shiv Sena Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The apex court has demanded that the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly expeditiously schedule hearings for these disqualification petitions within a week and formulate a precise timeline for their resolution.
The Supreme Court bench, presided over by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, underscored the unacceptable delay in rendering a verdict and emphasized that Speaker Rahul Narwekar of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is obligated to respect the Supreme Court’s dignity.
“Speaker has to honor the dignity of the Supreme Court,” declared CJI DY Chandrachud, highlighting the protracted deliberations on the disqualification pleas against Shiv Sena MLAs.
While Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the Speaker should not be treated like a schoolchild, the Supreme Court continued to denounce the protracted delay in deciding the disqualification petitions concerning CM Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena rebel MLAs. The court reiterated its expectation of utmost deference and respect for its directives in its forthcoming judgment on the Maharashtra political imbroglio.
The rift within the Shiv Sena party led to the formation of the Balasahebanchi Shivsena faction, led by CM Eknath Shinde in 2022. Shinde asserted the support of the majority of MLAs in the undivided Shiv Sena, ultimately precipitating the downfall of the Uddhav Thackeray government. This power shift culminated in Shinde’s ascension to the position of Chief Minister, in coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Devendra Fadnavis serving as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Subsequently, another rebel leader, Ajit Pawar of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), took the oath as the second Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 2023.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut, a prominent figure within the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, accused Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar of deliberately stalling the resolution of disqualification petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction against CM Eknath Shinde’s camp. Raut alleged that this inaction demonstrated support for an “unconstitutional” government in the state, despite clear directives from the Supreme Court that the switch of some MLAs from one political party to another does not constitute a split.
This scathing critique from the Supreme Court underscores the gravity of the political turmoil in Maharashtra and places immense pressure on the Speaker to expedite the resolution of these disqualification petitions.
