MLAs Disqualification Case: Supreme Court to Hear On January 22 Shiv Sena UBT Faction's Plea Against Speaker Rahul Narwekar

New Delhi, January 21: The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Monday the plea filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu against the ruling of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, which held that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction is the "real" Shiv Sena. As per the cause list published on the website of the apex court, a bench presided by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear the matter on January 22.

On January 15, former CM Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction petitioned the apex court questioning the January 10 decision passed by Narwekar holding that the group led by CM Shinde was the real "Shiv Sena" as it commanded a majority in the legislature and also in the party’s National Executive.

The petition also challenges the dismissal of the disqualification petitions filed against CM Shinde and other MLAs of his camp. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued the notice to the 14 Shiv Sena-UBT MLAs and others in a petition filed by ruling Shiv Sena's Chief Whip Bharat Gogavale seeking disqualification of Thackeray’s faction legislators.

A division bench of Justices G.S. Kulkarni and F.P. Pooniwalla of the HC posted the matter for further hearing on February 8. Thackeray’s legislative flock was saved from disqualification with the cross-petitions of both sides getting dismissed by Speaker Narwekar in the January 10 verdict.