Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rahul Narvekar on Wednesday (January 10) announced that Shiv Sena would not be aligning with the Shinde group. This declaration prompted swift reactions from top Shiv Sena (UBT) including Sanjay Raut, Aaditya Thackeray, and Priyanka Chaturvedi. In a video posted by news agency ANI on X, Raut said, "This is BJP's conspiracy & this was their dream that one day we would finish Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. But Shiv Sena won't finish with this one decision. We will go to the Supreme Court".
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar issued his decision on the cross-petition filed by both factions of the Shiv Sena seeking the disqualification of each other's MLAs. In a setback for the Uddhav Thackeray camp, he discovered that the faction led by Eknath Shinde was the genuine Shiv Sena. The Shiv Sena, founded by Bal Thackeray, split in 2022 following a rebellion by the Shinde group.
Aaditya Thackeray, leader of the Thackeray faction, expressed disappointment due to the unexpected decision from Narvekar, stating that there were prior arrangements, he said in an X post. He further revealed that he was deeply affected by Narvekar's move, even shedding tears during the discussion, the post read further.
"The Speaker's decision raised questions about the party's allegiances, leadership structure, and legislative committee's views. The Shiv Sena's decision, which was not reflected in the Election Commission's records, was emphasised by the Speaker. Narvekar clarified that his announcement confirmed Shiv Sena's true allegiance to the Shinde group," Aditya said
Aditya Thackeray labelled the decision as a 'shameful act,' questioning the Speaker's political integrity. He believes that such decisions signal larger implications for the nation. Thackeray criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its intention to amend the Constitution, highlighting their disregard for the principles set by Dr B R Ambedkar. He also pointed out the historical context, questioning Narvekar's past affiliations and intentions, his post read.
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Responding to these claims, Aditya Thackeray criticised Eknath Shinde for betraying the party's trust and aligning with opposing factions. He questioned Shinde's loyalty, given his swift transition and political manoeuvres. Thackeray also highlighted Shinde's aspirations for ministerial positions and the compromises he made to achieve them.
"Today, it has been proved once again that power and money sit over the Constitution. The way injustice is being done to us, the entire Maharashtra and India are watching it. Now we are left with the option of moving the Supreme Court again. We will approach the Supreme Court and we are confident that we will get justice," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey after Maharashtra Speaker's decision on disqualification pleas.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "I am not surprised at all. We had heard 'Wahi hota hai j manzoor-e-khuda' hota hai' after 2014 a new tradition has begun, 'Wahi hota hai Jo manzoor-e-Narendra Modi aur Amit Shah hota hai'. That is what we see happening in Maharashtra. This is an unfortunate compromise of ethics. Something that was termed 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional' by the Supreme Court is being turned into 'legal'. This is unfortunate," ANI quoted her as saying.
Speaking on the matter, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar stressed that while every citizen has the right to approach higher courts, mere allegations without legal substance won't invalidate the Speaker's decisions.
Several political leaders, including Ramdas Athawale, Deepak Kesarkar, Sharad Pawar, and Jitendra Awhad, responded to the ruling, which came as a major setback for the Shiv Sena (UBT) camp. Read the full report here.