Mumbai A day after the Eknath Shinde-led faction and the BJP government won a clear majority in the floor test, Speaker Rahul Narwekar has started the disqualification process of 14 Shiv Sena MLAs for voting against the whip issued by the Shinde-led faction.
The process started following a petition for disqualification of the MLAs was filed by the Shinde-led faction on Monday evening after winning the floor test that is a proof of success of the rebellion against Shiv Sena leadership. However, the petition did not have Aaditya Thackeray’s name, who is also an MLA from Worli assembly constituency in Mumbai.
Of the 55, 40 MLAs have sided with chief minister Ekanth Shinde.
Narwekar said that they have started scrutiny of the complaints received from both the sides and notices will be issued in a day or two. He has already recognised the Shinde-led faction as the Shiv Sena legislative party and cancelled the election of Ajay Choudhari as legislative party leader and Sunil Prabhu as the chief whip.
In a letter issued on July 3, the legislature secretariat communicated to the Shinde faction that the Speaker has decided to retain the appointment of Shinde as legislative party leader and Gogawale as chief whip. Narwekar took the decision hours after getting elected as the new Speaker of the lower house.
“The petitions are currently under scrutiny after which notices will be issued today or by tomorrow. In the notice, members will be given an opportunity to present their case and thereafter action will be taken,” Narwekar told Hindustan Times.
After winning the trust vote in the state Assembly on Monday, the Shinde-led faction issued a disqualification notice to 14 Shiv Sena MLAs from Uddhav Thackeray camp for violating a whip issued by his chief whip Bharat Gogawale. But chose to exclude Aaditya’s name, son of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, out of respect.
Thackeray camp’s chief whip Sunil Prabhu too has issued a similar whip for voting against the Shinde-led faction and BJP government during the floor test.
A matter of disqualification of 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs is already pending before the Supreme Court after the Shinde-led faction challenged the disqualification process started by the then deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal on June 25.
