Sanjay Raut demands president’s rule in Maharashtra until SC verdict over disqualification pleas by Shiv Sena factions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear the pleas filed by the rival Shiv Sena factions on 20 July over the disqualification of MLAs. A three-judge bench of CJI NV Ramana Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli will hear the pleas.

Ahead of the hearing Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has demanded the imposition of President's rule in Maharashtra till the constitution bench gives its verdict. Raut took a dig at the newly-formed Eknath Shinde government over the delay in the formation of the new cabinet.

"Barbados has a population of 2.5 lakh and yet has a cabinet of 27. Maharashtra's 12-crore population has a cabinet of 2 members that are taking arbitrary decisions. Where is the regard for the constitution ?" he tweeted.

Barbados has a population of 2.5Lacs & yet has a Cabinet of 27.
Maharashtra's 12Cr population has cabinet of 2 members that is taking arbitrary decisions

Where is the regard for Constitution?

Till the Constitut'l Bench of SC gives its verdict,impose President's rule in Mah'stra pic.twitter.com/9FfGYa1tFA

— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) July 16, 2022

Rauthas  demanded that till the constitution bench of the Supreme Court gives its verdict on the disqualification of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, President's rule should be imposed in the state.

"Article 164 (1-A) of the Constitution says that the number of ministers including chief minister of the state shall not be less than 12. For the last tw0 weeks, the cabinet consisting of just two ministers is taking decisions that are not Constitutionally valid. Honourable governor sir, what's going on?" he questioned.

After his rebellion led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Shinde took oath as the chief minister on 30 June along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy chief minister.

As per the latest speculation, the formation of the new council of ministers might take place days after the Presidential polls, scheduled on 18 July. A senior BJP leader has said the cabinet may be expanded on 20 or 21 July.

Raut, who is in Delhi, on Sunday slammed the Shinde-led government for not expanding the Cabinet. "It (expansion of cabinet) has not happened because there is a Constitutional problem. The 40 rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena (in the Shinde camp) face the threat of disqualification and the matter is being heard in the Supreme Court. If they take oath as ministers, they will be disqualified," he said.

The Supreme Court last Monday asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to not take any decision on disqualifying Shiv Sena MLAs.

Maharashtra Legislature Secretary Rajendra Bhagwat had issued show cause notices to 53 Shiv Sena MLAs. Forty of the notices have been sent to the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the other 13 belong to the Uddhav Thackeray group. Both the groups have sought the disqualification of legislators from the rival faction.

With input from agencies

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