In light of the current political squabble within the Shiv Sena, the Supreme Court ordered the solicitor general to instruct the speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly to defer making a decision about the disqualification of MLAs on Monday, July 11.
The Thackeray faction petitioned the court to challenge the assembly’s choice of a new speaker, and the court’s decision was in response.
The political situation in Maharashtra was not previously listed by the court, but the vacation bench took up those issues in the past two weeks and said that it will hear the case on July 11.
According to information received, none of the cases in Maharashtra are listed on the “cause list” that identifies the cases that will be handled by the several court benches on Monday.
Political Crisis Cases in Maharashtra Not Listed
Despite the vacation benches’ assurances that they would, the court did not list the topics pertaining to the political turmoil in Maharashtra on Monday. Those matters were discussed over the previous two weeks.
None of the cases were listed on the “cause lists” indicating which cases the several benches of the court will hear on Monday.The court, which was closed from 23 May due to summer vacations, will now reopen on 11 July.
Cases filed so far in the Supreme Court from the Maharashtra Crisis!
The Maharashtra political crisis, which resulted in the resignation of Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister and the appointment of a new administration led by Shiv Sena rebel Eknath Shinde as CM and the BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as deputy CM, is the subject of five cases that have been brought before the Supreme Court:
- Eknath Shinde and 15 of his (at the time) dissident Shiv Sena MLAs filed a challenge to the disqualification actions taken against them by Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal. They said that Zirwal was unable to consider whether to disqualify them in accordance with the anti-defection law since he had previously been informed of a request to remove him from his position.
- Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale objected to Deputy Speaker Zirwal’s choice to approve Sunil Prabhu’s nomination as the party’s top whip.
- The challenges brought forth by Uddhav Thackeray’s camp concern (a) the governor’s decision to order a floor test on June 30, (b) the new Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar’s decision to recognise Gogawale as the new chief whip of the Shiv Sena, and (c) the governor’s appointment of Eknath Shinde as the new CM and subsequent Assembly proceedings. Additionally, they asked for Shinde and the other rebels to be suspended while the court decided the case.
Demand for disqualification of MLAs
Both sides have called for the disqualification of MLAs from both parties, accusing one another of disobeying the party line during the July 3 and 4 votes to elect the Speaker and pass a motion of confidence, respectively. Aaditya Thackeray, son of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, is not listed among the MLAs whose disqualification the Shinde camp is requesting. According to the Members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Grounds of Defection) Rules, the notices have been issued. The MLAs have been given seven days to defend their position.
