Maha Speaker Rahul rules in favour of Shinde

He hold Shinde faction to be the real Shiv Sena

Opposition says it is a fixed match

In his Sena vs Sena verdict, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has ruled in favour of the Eknath Shinde faction of the party as he held them to be the real Shiv Sena. This means that the members of the real Shiv Sena will not be disqualified. 

Big setback for Uddhav Thackeray faction as Speaker Rahul Narwekar upholds Shinde’s elevation as leader valid. #MaharashtraPolitics #EKnathShinde #UddhavThackeray pic.twitter.com/V1HHflVulb

— NewsFirst Prime (@NewsFirstprime) January 10, 2024

It might be recalled that in June 2022, Eknath Shinde and other MLAs of Shiv Sena had openly taken on the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. This led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government. 

Of the 56 MLAs of the undivided Shiv Sena, 40 are with Shinde.

The issue of disqualification had been a longstanding dispute, with the top court setting a first deadline of December 31 and then, giving a grace period of ten more days, Jan 10 for the Speaker to decide.  

Even as the top court extended the deadline, it observed that the sanctity of the tenth schedule of the Constitution should not be compromised with. 

It might be recalled that the tenth schedule prevents the defection of elected and nominated members from parties on whose tickets they would have won. 

Supreme Court refuses restoration of Uddhav government

When the top court was approached over the Uddhav government losing its strength, the top court refused to restore the government, saying Uddhav had resigned without facing the floor test.