On Thursday, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar dismissed all the disqualification pleas filed by both the NCP factions and held in favor of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s faction as the ‘real’ faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
About the issue
The conflict within the party started a long ago, when the core of the power struggle between the uncle (Sharad Pawar) and nephew (Ajit Pawar) for the control of the party, due to ideological differences and leadership dispute, which was questioned by Ajit Pawar faction, accusing him of manipulating organizational procedures.
Further, the situation got serious in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar along with some NCP MLAs rebelled against Sharad Pawar and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena govt, leading to its information. This split got deep rifts within the NCP when both factions claimed the party name and symbol leading to the election commission’s recent decision favoring the Ajit Pawar faction and the current speaker’s decision.
Speaker’s decision on Ajit Pawar faction
The Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar issued a significant decision regarding the internal conflict within the NCP, by ruling in favor of the Ajit Pawar faction, as his faction outnumbered the Sharad Pawar faction in the state legislature.
Moreover, the Speaker dismissed all the disqualification petitions filed by both sides and ruled that the actions and statements of Ajit Pawar’s faction were not acts of defection but intra-party dissent. The Speaker stated that the provision of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution of India that deals with the disqualification of the legislators is not to silence the members or to crush the opposition because that would be a complete abuse of the law and contrary to the contention of law.
Political Impact
The political impact of the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker is multifaceted not only impacting the NCP but also on the state politics and the stability of the MVA coalition, as it favors Ajit Pawar. And the legal battle might continue as Sharad Pawar could challenge the speaker’s decision on the court.
Meanwhile, the NCP’s division affects the stability of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition (consisting of NCP, Shiv Sena, and Congress) becomes questionable will affect both the factions could lead to instability of the govt, potentially creating opportunities for the opposition parties in the upcoming polls.
Possible outcomes
The Speaker’s decision throws Maharashtra politics into a tornado and this instability might affect the MVA which will lead to uncertainty and vitality in the state’s political landscape. Also, the upcoming elections become more unpredictable hinging on public support and national dynamics.
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