Maharashtra Political Crisis | Eknath Shinde’s Camp Moves SC Against Disqualification Notice

Earlier on Saturday, the Maharashtra legislature secretariat had issued summons to 16 of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde.

Supreme Court. (Image Source: Getty Images)

New Delhi: The rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, led by senior party leader Eknath Shinde, moved the Supreme Court on Sunday against the disqualification notice issued against them. A vacation bench of the apex court will on Monday hear Shinde’s plea against the disqualification notice, news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.

Earlier on Saturday, the Maharashtra legislature secretariat had issued summons to 16 of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde.

The Maharashtra legislature secretariat sought written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification.

The rebel legislators, who have been camping at a hotel in Assam’s Guwahati, also challenged the rejection of no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker Narahari Zirwal.

Meanwhile, an official said the Mumbai Police have no information on when the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs will arrive in the metropolis from Guwahati, but preparations, including alerting airports, are underway.

“We have alerted airports and have deployed personnel (bandobast). We have no idea, however, on when these MLAs will arrive here,” the news agency quoted the official as saying.

“The MLAs have asked the hotel management there (Guwahati) to extend their stay till June 28,” he added.

Earlier on June 21, a sizable number of MLAs, led by Shinde, had rebelled against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The rebel MLAs had first moved to Gujarat’s Surat city and then to Assam’s Guwahati.

Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena workers loyal to Thackeray held rallies and protests in several parts of Maharashtra.

They organised a motorcycle rally from the office of party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ in Prabhadevi to Dadar, while the effigy of Yavatmal MLA Sanjay Rathod was burnt.

Some Shiv Sena workers, according to officials, tried to attack the house of Osmanabad MLA Balaji Kalyankar.

Similar scenes were witnessed in Nashik where the Shiv Sena workers held mock funerals of the rebel MLAs in a protest march till Amardham crematorium.

In the meantime, rallies in Shinde’s support were also held, mostly in Thane and the adjoining areas in Palghar and Raigad.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) protection, as per officials, has been given to the homes of 16 rebel MLAs, who were sent notices by the Assembly Deputy Speaker seeking their explanation on the Shiv Sena’s application for their disqualification.