On Wednesday, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar ruled that the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde was the ‘real Sena’, as he had the majority support from the party MLAs. He further ruled that the Shinde faction MLAs cannot be disqualified as the Shiv Sena (UBT) has no authority to call the legislature meeting.
Speaker’s Verdict on the Shinde-Thackrey Faction
The Speaker was deciding on the disqualification petitions filed by both factions- Shinde and Uddhav Thackrey, against each other’s MLAs. Pronouncing the order, Speaker Narwekar said that the 1999 constitution of Shiv Sena has to be taken into consideration as the 2018 constitution of the party was not amended in place before the Election Commission of India (ECI). According to the 1999 constitution of Shiv Sena, the Sena removed the concentration of power from the hands of the party chief. However, the amended constitution of 2018 put the power back in the hands of the party chief.
The Speaker also stated that Uddhav Thackrey, being the president of Shiv Sena has no power to remove Eknath Shinde as the leader of the legislative party. “The Eknath Shinde-led faction was the real Shiv Sena political party when rival factions emerged in 2022…The Shiv Sena ‘pramukh’ does not have the power to remove any leader from the party,” the Speaker said.
The verdict comes after 18 months when Eknath Shinde with 20 other MLAs rebelled against Uddhav Thackrey and brought down the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) govt, which included the Nationalist Congress Party as well as the India National Congress, by joining with the BJP. Moreover, the Speaker’s verdict in favour of Shinde’s faction not only ensures the stability of the Shinde govt but also affects Uddhav Thackrey’s faction, as both have filed cross-petition against each other.
What Uddhav Thackrey said on Speaker’s Verdict?
Uddhav Thackrey has strongly reacted to the Speaker’s verdict, calling it “undemocratic” and “biased”, alleging that the verdict undermines the principles of the democratic rules. He argues about the speaker avoided deciding on the party symbol and labeled it a “political vendetta” and not a legal principle.
Furthermore, Thackrey announced that his faction Shiv Sena (UBT) will challenge the speaker’s verdict in the Supreme Court as the party has filed an affidavit earlier, objecting to a visit by Rahul Narwekar to Eknath Shinde before the verdict on disqualification pleas. He said, “I had expressed my doubts yesterday that this is a ploy to kill democracy…We will see whether a case of contempt of the Supreme Court can be made out or not”.
Implications of Thackrey’s Faction
The Maharashtra Assembly Speaker’s verdict recognizing the Eknath Shinde faction as the ‘real Shiv Sena’ could potentially affect the Thackrey’s faction including losing the party’s identity, is crucial for branding and gaining support, dealing with a major blow to their political identity and appeal. As Shinde’s faction now controls the majority of MLAs affects Thackrey’s faction to a smaller opposition group in the state legislation. Also, it might fracture the support base of Shiv Sena (UBT) and some may shift their loyalties towards Shinde.
Future Course of Action
Based on the current situation, Thackrey’s faction needs to focus on regrouping its base, building a new brand, and making alliances with other opposition parties could be vital for the Uddhav-led faction to be politically relevant and potentially challenge the BJP-Shinde alliance in the future elections. Besides, Thackrey’s faction may need to adopt a long-term strategy to rebuild its political presence and relevant force in Maharashtra’s political landscape.
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