'Uddhav Thackeray Misled Us': Shinde Camp Urges Maha Speaker For Early Decision On Disqualification Pleas
The Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, claims to have a "strong moral and constitutional case" and has urged Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to rule on MLA disqualification petitions.
The Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, said on Friday (October 13) that it had a "strong moral and constitutional case" and urged Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to rule on MLA disqualification petitions as soon as possible. Last year, the Shiv Sena split into the Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde factions, with the former filing petitions with the Speaker seeking the disqualification of several MLAs from the chief minister's camp.
"We understand the process and the time commitment required to make this decision. We have a strong moral and constitutional case, backed by the will of the Shiv Sena's legislative and parliamentary parties, workers, and voters," the Shinde-led group said in a statement, as reported by PTI.
"Our politics is deeply committed to our late founder Hindu Hriday Samrat Shri Balasaheb Thackeray's values and principles. Uddhav Thackeray misled us and jeopardised our core value system," it continued.
The statement claimed that Uddhav Thackeray deceived the people of Maharashtra by failing to honour their mandate after the 2019 Assembly elections, referring to the dissolution of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which resulted in the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
According to the Shinde group's statement, the Election Commission of India gave it the names 'Shiv Sena' and 'bow and arrow,' recognising it as the original party founded by Bal Thackeray.
The Election Commission's decision was based on a "test on majority" because MLAs supporting the Eknath Shinde faction received nearly 76% of the votes cast for the 55 Shiv Sena candidates who won in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, while the Uddhav Thackeray faction received only 23.5 percent of the votes cast.
Furthermore, the affidavits of workers and office bearers outweighed those of the Uddhav Thackeray faction, according to the statement.
The statement claimed that the ECI had called the (undivided) party constitution "undemocratic" in scathing remarks.
"We have full faith in the Supreme Court, which has granted us relief and justice in the past," the Shinde camp said in a statement.
In addition, the Supreme Court chastised the Speaker on Friday for the delay in ruling on Shinde and several other MLAs' disqualification petitions.
"Somebody has to advise the Speaker that he cannot defeat Supreme Court orders," a bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said, asking Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to provide the court with a timeline for deciding the issue.
On September 18, the Supreme Court directed the Maharashtra assembly speaker to specify a timetable for hearing the disqualification petitions filed against Shinde and other MLAs.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray has consistently claimed Narwekar is delaying a decision on the disqualification petitions.
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