Disqualification: All 54 Shiv Sena MLAs in Maharashtra gather for hearing | Mumbai News – Times of India
MUMBAI: Appearing for the first time for a hearing on disqualification petitions filed by the rival Shiv Sena factions, MLAs from both the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde camps made written submissions before speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday. The hearing which followed the Supreme Court order was, however, marked by allegations from the Uddhav Thackeray camp that the speaker was deliberately prolonging the process. The 40 MLAs from the Shinde camp and 14 aligned to Thackeray assembled with their lawyers in the central hall of the state legislature. Senior counsel Devadatt Kamat and Asim Sarode appeared for the Thackeray faction and senior counsel Anil Sakhare and Anil Singh for the Shinde faction. CM Shinde was not present. Responding to the Shinde faction’s application that copies of petitions filed by Sena (UBT) whip Sunil Prabhu be made available to them, the speaker said the next hearing could take place after an exchange of documents by both sides. Narwekar said the date would be intimated to the petitioners. Officials said the next date may be after two weeks as that’s the time set for exchange of documents. “All action will be based on rules. Only appropriate action will be taken. Hearing was conducted on all 34 petitions. I’m holding these hearings in a quasi-judicial capacity, all Constitutional provisions will be followed,” Narwekar said. Sarode alleged that delaying tactics were at work. “Even after all documents were submitted, some people claimed that they didn’t get documents. So a few weeks’ time has been given, but this is nothing but a delaying tactic. All petitions have to be heard together, the SC has already said that they are disqualified, now the Speaker has to just take a decision,” he said. Sakhare said the Shinde faction had made an application for copies of petitions filed by Prabhu. “Prabhu had requested that all petitions be heard together. So the Speaker has given time to exchange documents and then the next date will be given. The first hearing was the one concerning disqualification of CM Shinde,” Sakhare said. Sena (UBT) MLA Ravindra Waikar also alleged that the Shinde faction had sought two weeks’ time to delay the hearing.