Shinde Sena Can Stake Legal Claim On Party, Symbol
In the latest update from the Maharashtra political drama staging its act in Guwahati, Eknath Shinde claimed 42 MLAs late Friday evening. This means he has the critical number (37, clearly five above the required mark) of MLAs required to split the party in the Assembly without invoking of the anti-defection law.
This comes even as Shiv Sena in Mumbai now seeks disqualification of four more rebel MLAs. His total strength is now 42. While speaking to media channels earlier in the day, he claimed more than 50 MLAs are supporting him, including 40 from the Sena.
Technically and legally, if the Shinde Sena has the required 2/3rd majority (55 Sena members of which 42 are now with Shinde), they are entitled to stake claim to the party reigns, name and the symbol. The move to disqualify nearly 16 rebel MLAs is being seen as the Thackeray Shiv Sena’s plan to mitigate the numbers of the rebel camp. However, the fact that it was the Deputy Speaker and not the Speaker (the post has been vacant since 2019), who issued the directive, again falls in the matter of judicial purview.
Given all the aspects, it seems a floor test and a legal battle are imminent to decide a way out of the political mess before the reigns of the Maharashtra government emerge clear.
Meanwhile, Kurla in Mumbai reported vandalism by Shiv Sainiks as protestors went on a rampage and hurled stones at the local office of rebel Shiv Sena MLA Mangesh Kundalkar.
The Shiv Sena has called for an executive committee meeting at 1 pm Saturday to chart the map forward. Mumbai Police has cautioned about the “very likely possibility” of violence between the Shiv Sainiks and rebel camp supporters in the coming days.
The late evening meeting at Matoshree between NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena leaders was on till reports came in.
The Shinde Sena has asserted that the Sena’s alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress in Maharashtra is “unnatural”, and that it should restore its alliance with the BJP. Added, the rebels claims a condescending high-handedness in the Thackerays’ dealing with them.
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