MLAs of 2 Sena camps get notices over disqualification pleas

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Saturday said notices have been issued to 40 MLAs of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and 14 of the Uddhav Thackeray faction, seeking their replies on disqualification petitions against them.

These legislators have been given seven days to file their reply, he said.

The notices have been issued against a total of 54 MLAs, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena-UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray. But notice was not issued against Shiv Sena-UBT MLA Rutuja Latke who was elected after the Shiv Sena split last year.

The development comes a day after Narwekar said that he has received a copy of the Shiv Sena's constitution from the Election Commission of India, and that hearing on the disqualification petitions against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including CM Shinde would start soon.

"Notice seeking replies on disqualification issued to 40 MLA of Eknath Shinde-Shiv Sena faction, 14 of Uddhav Thackeray faction," Narwekar told PTI.

Shiv Sena MLA and spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said he has not received any notice so far from the state legislature. He said the Shiv Sena led by Shinde had also filed disqualification petitions against 14 MLAs of the Uddhav camp including Aaditya Thackeray.

Earlier this week, the Shiv Sena-UBT approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Assembly Speaker to hear the disqualification petitions expeditiously.

Attacking Narwekar, Shiv Sena-UBT leader Arvind Sawant said, "The speaker did not do anything (on the disqualification pleas) in the last two months, which is why we approached the Supreme Court which prompted him to issue notices and seek reply in seven days.

Sawant said the Supreme Court in its judgement in May has accepted that Sunil Prabhu was the whip during the Sena rebellion.

MLA Sunil Prabhu had, in his capacity as chief whip of the undivided Shiv Sena, had filed the disqualification petitions against Shinde and other 15 MLAs last year after they rebelled and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.

On May 11, the top court ruled that Eknath Shinde will continue to be the chief minister of Maharashtra. It cannot reinstate the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government headed by Uddhav Thackeray as the Sena leader chose to resign without facing a floor test in the wake of Shinde's rebellion, the court said.