Maharashtra:In June 2022, the political landscape of Maharashtra was dramatically altered by a rebellion led by Eknath Shinde, who is now the Chief Minister. This uprising, which saw Shinde and numerous Shiv Sena MLAs breaking away from then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, resulted in a profound impact on the state’s political fortunes. The Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government fell apart due to this split.
The current focal point is the impending verdict by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, scheduled to be announced at the Supreme Court-mandated deadline of 4 pm. The court is addressing disqualification petitions filed by the rival factions within the Shiv Sena. Shinde expressed confidence in having the numerical advantage, emphasizing that the Election Commission has acknowledged the majority of the party’s lawmakers supporting him.
In anticipation of the verdict, Thackeray raised concerns about a meeting between Shinde and Narwekar prior to the crucial decision. Thackeray’s party filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court objecting to this meeting. NCP founder Sharad Pawar echoed these concerns, stating that such interactions between the adjudicator and the party involved in the case create doubts about fairness. In response, Narwekar defended the meeting, suggesting that Thackeray, being a former chief minister, should be aware of the legitimate reasons for a speaker to meet a chief minister.
To provide context, the rebellion in June 2022 led to a split in the Shiv Sena, with petitions for disqualification filed by both the Thackeray and Shinde factions against each other’s legislators under the anti-defection law. Out of the 56 undivided Shiv Sena MLAs, 40 are aligned with Shinde. The Supreme Court had previously instructed the speaker to expedite the adjudication process, initially setting a deadline of December 31, 2023, and later extending it to January 10, 2024.
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