Sena factions' chiefs to meet Speaker before decision on disqualification of MLAs
25 Jul 2023 17:50:48
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar is likely to summon Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after 54 Sena MLAs from both factions submitted their replies on the disqualification petitions filed against them.
The Speaker may meet Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde to finalise the issue of which party has the authority to appoint a whip in July 2022.
Narwekar took a review meeting on Monday and asked officials to examine the replies filed by 40 Shinde-led Sena MLAs and 14 legislators from the Uddhav Thackeray faction before the hearing on their disqualification pleas begins. Maharashtra Legislative Assembly officials said it is likely that the Speaker will first frame which faction’s Constitution was in force during June and July last year, when 40 MLAs loyal to Eknath Shinde left Uddhav Thackeray.
The Supreme Court, in its order passed in May, said that the issue of disqualification of the MLAs will be decided by the Speaker.
To decide the real Shiv Sena, officials said the Speaker will hear both Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde before the hearing on the MLAs' disqualification pleas starts. This will be done so that both sides are given a fair chance and an opportunity to explain their interpretation of the party Constitution.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena is likely to move an application asking the Speaker to hear its 14 MLAs at once and not call each of them individually for the hearing.
The Speaker is currently carrying out proceedings under Schedule 10 of the Constitution where hearings are done as per the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), and party leaders can be summoned for this.
Once the Election Commission (EC) gives a copy of the original party Constitution which was in force in June-July last year, the presidents of the two factions can be summoned, officials said. Both Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde will be called in their capacity of being party presidents. While Eknath Shinde is an MLA, Uddhav Thackeray is an MLC (Member of Legislative Council).
The Speaker will fix which faction is the original Sena at the time when the whips were issued, which will then become one of the key premises for taking a decision on the disqualification.
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