Maharashtra legislative assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar. (File pic: PTI)
Both Sena factions are of the opinion that it is not possible to complete the hearing in the stipulated period as time will be required for the verification of documents, recording statements of the two sides, and giving them opportunities to cross-examine each other
The Maharashtra assembly speaker has fixed October 13 as the next date to hear the “Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena” issue. On Monday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction reiterated its demand to club all petitions filed against chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. However, the Shinde camp opposed to this demand, pointing out there are 34 different petitions in front of the speaker and he should be given proper time to hear them.
Last year, the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed after a rebellion in the then undivided Shiv Sena with Shinde and several other MLAs teaming up with the Bharatiya Janata Party. After Eknath Shinde became the chief minister with the BJP’s support, the two factions of the Shiv Sena filed disqualification pleas against each other. The matter also reached the Supreme Court, which asked the Maharashtra assembly speaker to make a decision.
Speaker Rahul Narwekar had issued notices to the MLAs of both factions on September 14, to hear the petitions they filed against each other with his office. He had ordered them to exchange the documents as both factions had said that they hadn’t got notices issued by each other.
After hearing both sides, the assembly speaker has decided that he will fix a timetable to hear all petitions before him. But both factions are of the opinion that it is not possible to complete the hearing in the stipulated period as time will be required for the verification of documents, recording statements of the two sides, and giving them opportunities to cross-examine each other. Experts are also of the opinion that at least three months would be required to complete the hearing. So the final order in this matter is likely to come in January 2024.
On Monday, Anil Parab, Sunil Prabhu, and Anil Desai from Uddhav Thackeray’s faction and a few other MLAs from Mumbai were present for the hearing. Initially, the speaker allowed both sides to put forward their arguments. After hearing them, he decided to make a timetable to hear all 34 petitions in front of him.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders were unhappy over what they saw as delay caused by the speaker and had approached the apex court. The SC had expressed its displeasure with the working style of the speaker’s office in hearing these petitions.
Following the Supreme Court’s direction to expedite the proceedings, Narwekar had issued notices to both factions to remain present for a hearing on September 14.
The speaker will have to explain to the top court what was done in the past four months regarding this matter. Narwekar was recently in Delhi and sources say he was getting legal advice from top Supreme Court lawyers. The next hearing in the SC will be on October 3.
