Sena factions disqualification plea: CM Shinde urges Speaker to give verdict on merit

CM Eknath Shinde/ File Photo

As Speaker Rahul Narwekar prepares to rule on the Shiv Sena factions disqualification pleas against each other's MLAs, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde emphasised the significance of a fair, merit-based decision.

Nearly 18 months after Shiv Sena split vertically, Speaker Rahul Narwekar will shortly be announcing his verdict on the Sena factions disqualification pleas at 4 pm on January 10 in Vidhan Bhavan.

IN PHOTOS: Maharashtra speaker Rahul Narwekar to announce verdict in Sena disqualification pleas today

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Speaking to reporters ahead of the judgement, Shinde emphasised the importance of the Election Commission's clearance, which allows his side to keep the name 'Shiv Sena' and its distinctive 'bow and arrow' insignia, the PTI report stated.

Shinde acknowledged the suspicions about potential cooperation between the Shiv Sena and the speaker but downplayed it, claiming that the selection should be based only on merit. Shinde emphasised the importance of an unbiased verdict, pointing to his faction's majority presence in the assembly and Lok Sabha.

"Some people allege match-fixing (between Shiv Sena and the speaker). There is no substance to those allegations. The speaker should give judgment on merit," he told PTI.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) recently objected to a meeting between Speaker Narwekar and Shinde, resulting in a heated fight between the parties. Shinde stressed that they had no objections to opposition MLAs holding discussions in the speaker's office.

Responding to criticism about the meeting, Shinde stated that the speaker's visit was official and took place during daylight hours to discuss numerous constituency-related projects, including the Coastal Road initiative. Shinde refrained from providing a lengthy reply before the decree, focusing instead on the importance of a fair and unbiased decision-making process.

"We never objected to opposition MLAs having food in the speaker's office," said Shinde, referring to the criticism of Narwekar for visiting him on Sunday.

Narwekar reacts

In his response to Uddhav Thackeray's criticism, Narwekar told ANI, "He, being the former CM, must know about the role of speaker. Speakers do meet CM for many works but when Uddhav Thackeray was CM, he did get the time to know about what role the speaker has in assembly. There are many purposes for which a speaker could meet a chief minister."

With agency inputs