Supreme Court Reserves Verdict On Batch Of Pleas On Maharashtra Political Row
The five-judge constitution bench reserved its verdict after nine days of hearing which had commenced on Feb 21.
The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on Thursday on a batch of cross-petitioners, including Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister Eknath Shinde factions, pertaining to the Maharashtra political crisis.
A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud reserved its verdict after hearing arguments advanced on behalf of both the Uddhav and Eknath factions and the office of the governor.
The bench, comprising Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and PS Narasimha, concluded the hearing after senior advocates Kapil Sibal, AM Singhvi, Devadatt Kamat, and advocate Amit Anand Tiwari made their submissions.
The top court also heard arguments from senior advocates Neeraj Kishan Kaul, Harish Salve, Mahesh Jethmalani, and advocate Abhikalp Pratap Singh for Maharashtra's CM Eknath Shinde-led faction.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta represented the office of the governor in the matter.
The five-judge constitution bench reserved its verdict after nine days of hearings, which commenced on Feb 21.
On Feb 17, the top court declined to refer a batch of pleas related to the June 2022 Maharashtra political crisis triggered by Shiv Sena's division to a seven-judge bench for reconsideration of the 2016 Nabam Rebia judgment.
The 2016 judgment dealt with the powers of the assembly speaker and ruled that he or she cannot proceed with pleas for disqualification of MLAs if a prior notice seeking the speaker's removal is pending before the house.
On June 29, 2022, at the height of the Maharashtra political crisis, the apex court refused to stay the governor's direction to the 31-month-old MVA government led by Thackeray to take a floor test.
Sensing defeat, Thackeray resigned, catapulting a Shiv Sena-BJP dispensation led by Shinde to power.
On Aug 23, 2022, a three-judge bench of the top court headed by then chief justice N V Ramana formulated several questions of law and referred to the five-judge bench petitions filed by the two Sena factions, which raised several constitutional questions related to defection, merger, and disqualification.
In a blow to the Thackeray bloc, the Election Commission last month declared the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted it the bow and arrow symbol of the party founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.