On Disqualification Pleas By Uddhav And Sharad Pawar Camps, SC Sets Deadline For Maharashtra Speaker

The Supreme Court has set a deadline for the Maharashtra Speaker to decide on the disqualification pleas against certain MLAs by the Uddhav and Sharad Pawar camps of the Shiv Sena and the NCP.

Setting the deadline for Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar, the Supreme Court has directed him to make a decision by December 31 on the disqualification pleas filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena camp against some MLAs, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The court also asked him to decide on the disqualification pleas by the Sharad Pawar camp of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) against a group of legislators led by the rebel Ajit Pawar faction by January 31, 2024.

The court has declined the proposal of the Maharashtra Speaker that he could conclude proceedings on disqualification petitions by February 29, 2024.

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said procedural wranglings should not be permitted to delay the process. "We are concerned that the sanctity of the tenth schedule must be maintained. Otherwise, we are throwing these provisions to the wind," it said.

"The procedural wranglings should not be permitted to delay the petitions. We direct that proceedings shall be concluded and directions passed by December 31, 2023," the bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said, as reported by news agency PTI.

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar reached Delhi ahead of the hearing and was scheduled to attend few meetings, including one with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Speaking to reporters on the petitions, Narwekar on Sunday said, “I will take legal advice and then decide over it.”

Asked about the notices to NCP MLAs over the disqualification pleas, he said, “It was part of the procedure. I issued the notices after scrutiny of the submitted disqualification petitions was over.”

On October 17, the Supreme Court said, "We are not satisfied with the time schedule. SG has apprised that during Dussehra breaks he would personally engage with the speaker so as to indicate a firm set of modalities."

Earlier, the top court had rapped the speaker over the delay in deciding on the pleas filed by the Uddhav Thackeray camp. Similar disqualification petitions were also filed by the Shinde camp against Thackeray loyalists.