SC verdicts today in Maharashtra political crisis, Delhi govt vs Centre row

The Supreme Court will on Thursday pronounce its most awaited verdicts in two crucial matters the political turmoil triggered in Maharashtra last year and the dispute between the Centre and the Delhi and government on who should control administrative services in the national capitalThe list of business for the day in the Supreme Court shows that both judgments are unanimous and will be delivered by a fivejudge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY ChandrachudThe fivejudge Constitution bench will include Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah Krishna Murari Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha will first pronounce judgement on the Delhi governments plea relating to the control of services in the national capitalThe same bench will then pass its judgement on a batch of petitions filed by rival Shiv Sena groups after the June 2022 Maharashtra political crisisAlso Read Eknath Shinde will continue to be Maharashtra CM Devendra FadnavisIn August last year the top courts threejudge bench had referred to a fivejudge Constitution bench the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena the Eknath Shinde group and the Uddhav Thackeray group in relation to the political crisis in the State that led to the fall of the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA governmentIt had said that some of the issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis may require a larger Constitution bench for considerationThere are various petitions pending before the apex court filed by both factions of Shiv SenaOn June 29 2022 the top court gave a goahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governors direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30After the apex courts order Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief MinisterMeanwhile in the Delhi government versus Lieutenant Governor the top court has to decide the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and Delhi government over control of services in the national capitalThe case was posted before a Constitution bench after a threejudge bench had in May 2021 decided to send it to a larger bench on a request by the Central governmentOn February 14 2019 a twojudge bench of the top court delivered a split verdict on the question of powers of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi GNTCD and Union government over services and referred the matter to a threejudge BenchWhile Justice Ashok Bhushan had ruled the Delhi government has no power at all over administrative services Justice AK Sikri however had said the transfer or posting of officers in top echelons of the bureaucracy joint director and above can only be done by the Central government and the view of the Lieutenant Governor would prevail in case of a difference of opinion for matters relating to other bureaucratsThe twojudge bench which was hearing pleas on six matters pertaining to a longrunning conflict between the Centre and the Delhi government had given a unanimous order on the remaining five issues except the control over servicesGovernance of the national capital has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party AAP came to power in 2014Prior to February 2019 judgement a fivejudge constitution bench of the Supreme Court had on July 4 2018 laid down the broad parameters for governance of the national capital In the landmark verdict it had unanimously held that Delhi cannot be accorded the status of a State but clipped the powers of the LG saying he has no independent decisionmaking power and has to act on the aid and advice of the elected governmentIt had restricted the jurisdiction of the LG to matters pertaining to land police and public order and on all other matters it held that the LG would have to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministersThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever