NCP Vs NCP: SC Extends Deadline To Feb 15 For Maharashtra Governor To Decide On Pleas By Sharad Pawar Faction
The Supreme Court granted more time to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide the disqualification petitions filed by the Sharad Pawar faction of NCP against the Ajit Pawar faction
The Supreme Court on Monday granted more time to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide the disqualification petitions filed by the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) against the Ajit Pawar faction.
The bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra agreed to Governors' plea seeking more time and extended the deadline till February 15, 2024.
In October, after repeated warnings to the Maharashtra Governor against delays in deciding on Shivsena and NCP disqualification petitions, the top court intervened and set a deadline for the decision.
The Supreme Court had directed Narwekar to decide on the NCP disqualification petitions filed by the Sharad Pawar faction against the Ajit Pawar faction by January 31.
The Speaker prayed to the top court today and sought three more weeks to decide on the NCP petitions.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta appearing for the Maharashtra Speaker told the court that since Narvekar was busy with cross-petitions filed by two factions of Shivsena against each other, he is not in a position to adhere to the timeline.
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In July 2023, Ajit Pawar's shift to the BJP changed the whole political equations in the state ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly polls this year. Ajit Pawar took oath as the second Deputy Chief Minister and eight other NCP MLAs also joined the Eknath Shinde-led government.
At present, the Election Commission of India is hearing a plea filed by Ajit Pawar faction, seeking claims over the NCP party's name and its election symbol.
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker pronounced his verdict on January 10 in favour of the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena on Wednesday.
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Narwekar said that he relied on the Supreme Court's judgment in the Subhash Desai case, and the jurisdiction of the Speaker in deciding defection petitions as provided by the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which deals with the anti-defection law.
The Speaker, while delivering his verdict, said he was of the view that the last relevant constitution of the Shiv Sena with the Election Commission of India was the one submitted in 1999, and not the 2018 one. The apex court had asked the Speaker to consider the relevant constitution to arrive at a decision.
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