Shiv Sena (UBT) approaches SC over meeting between CM Shinde and Narwekar

Shiv Sena faction led by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court objecting to the meeting between Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and state Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar before the verdict on the Shiv Sena disqualification pleaThackeray Tuesday said that the affidavit was filed on Monday newswire PTI reported Narkwekar is scheduled to deliver the verdict at 4 pm on January 10ldquoIf the judge Narwekar is going to meet the accused what should we expect from that judgerdquo Uddhav Thackeray asked in his media interaction at Matoshree his residence in suburban Bandra while reacting to the meeting that was held two days ahead of the verdict on Shiv Sena disqualification pleaNarwekar met Shinde at Varsha the chief ministers official residence on Sunday The two also met in October last yearEarlier Thackeray hit out at Narwekar for meeting Shinde ahead of his judgment and claimed Narwekars meeting with Shinde on Monday is akin to a judge meeting a criminalThe Supreme Court last month extended the deadline to January 10 for Narwekar to decide on the crosspetitions filed by rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each others MLAsThackeray said since the SC directed Narwekar in May last year to take a decision on the pleas seeking disqualification of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs the speaker has met the chief minister twiceAlso read Sena UBT questions legitimacy of Bangladesh election results in SaamanaWhat justice can we expect from him tomorrow the former CM said ahead of the verdict on Shiv Sena disqualification plea on January 10In June 2022 Shinde and a number of other MLAs rebelled against then chief minister Thackeray leading to a split in the Shiv Sena and collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi which also comprised the Nationalist Congress Party NCP and the CongressCross petitions were filed by the Shinde and Thackeray factions seeking action against each others MLAs under antidefection lawsAfter the rebellion in June 2022 Shinde became the CM with the Bharatiya Janata Partys supportIn July last year the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP also joined his governmentThe Election Commission had given the Shiv Sena name and bow and arrow symbol to the Shindeled faction while the one headed by Thackeray was to be called Shiv Sena UBT with a flaming torch as its symbol With inputs from agencies