Disqualification proceedings initiated against Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and 52 others from Shiv Sena

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, and 52 other members of the Shiv Sena party have received showcause notices, questioning why they should not be disqualified from the legislative assembly.

According to reports, the showcause notices were sent to a total of 54 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), comprising 39 from Shinde-led Sena, 14 from Sena(UBT), and one other.

They have been given seven working days to respond. Surprisingly, Aaditya Thackeray’s name is not included in the list submitted by Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena group.

The disqualification proceedings against the Shinde-led Sena members were initiated by Sunil Prabhu, the whip of Sena(UBT). Conversely, Bharat Gogawale, the whip of the Shinde group, initiated proceedings against 14 Sena(UBT) MLAs.

Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar stated that the MLAs must respond within seven days. Failure to do so will be considered as having nothing to say, leading to an ex parte order by the speaker.

Rahul Narwekar confirmed to TOI that showcause notices have been issued to 54 legislators based on different petitions filed by rival factions for violating the anti-defection law. Among them, 39 belong to Eknath Shinde’s party, and 14 are from Sena(UBT). “My office has issued showcause notices to them,” said Narwekar.

Narwekar’s prompt action holds significant political importance. During an event at Raj Bhavan, where a book on veteran Congress leader Balasaheb Desai was released, Narwekar had hinted at making a “revolutionary” decision.

On June 21, 2022, Sunil Prabhu issued a whip to all Shiv Sena legislators, including Eknath Shinde, instructing them to attend a meeting called by Uddhav Thackeray. Prabhu initiated disqualification proceedings against Shinde and 15 others, citing non-compliance with the whip and violation of the 10th schedule of the Constitution.

Subsequently, another disqualification notice was issued to 23 legislators for the same reasons. While the disqualification proceedings were pending before the speaker, the Shinde-led Sena initiated proceedings against 14 Sena(UBT) legislators.

As the speaker had not made a decision, Prabhu approached the Supreme Court, urging them to direct the speaker to expedite the case’s disposal, preferably within 90 days, as more than a year had passed. The Supreme Court expressed its desire for such matters to be resolved in a reasonable time, citing a previous case involving the Manipur assembly speaker, where a reasonable period was defined as within 90 days.