Last week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated the Supreme Court’s verdict that set aside the one-year suspension of its 12 Maharashtra Assembly members. While slamming the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, the BJP quoted the court’s observations that the Assembly’s action was unconstitutional and arbitrary. In response, the MVA reignited the age-old debate whether the judiciary can/should interfere with the legislature that works as a nation within a nation, clearly indicating that the matter won’t rest. 

With the budget session scheduled to begin in the last week of February, the action has already shifted to the Vidhan Bhavan. The SC’s verdict is expected to be examined, similar happenings here and in the other states and Parliament will be referred to while preparing the response. Armed with the SC verdict, the petitioners may try to resume the duties that the suspension had denied them since July last year. But will their rights be restored anytime soon? The question holds the key to the future skirmishes between the MVA and the BJP.