New Delhi, Jun 17 (PTI) A group of rebel Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders is learnt to have met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday, claiming the support of six of the party’s nine MPs in the Lower House, sources said.
While there was no official word from either side on what transpired in the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray loyalist and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said the party has not heard from anyone planning to switch to the ruling Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
A three-line whip has been issued to all Sena (UBT) MPs, directing them to attend a meeting of its parliamentary party on Thursday.
“Things will become clear after Thursday’s meeting,” Raut, who also met Birla along with the party’s Lok Sabha MPs Arvind Sawant and Anil Desai during the day, told reporters, adding that the MPs have been directed to attend the meeting in person.
On Sunday, five Sena (UBT) MPs had joined a meeting called by Thackeray in Mumbai virtually.
On Wednesday, Raut’s press conference, which he addressed before meeting Birla, also laid bare the crisis facing Sena (UBT). Besides Sawant and Desai, only Rajabhau Waje, also a Lok Sabha MP, was present with him. The whereabouts of the party’s remaining six MPs were not known.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha, and at least six would have to switch sides together to escape disqualification under the anti-defection law.
It is also learnt that Shinde, the principal architect of the split in the undivided Shiv Sena in 2022 that brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, is camping in Delhi.
Meanwhile, following the meeting with Birla, Desai told reporters that they had submitted a representation to the Speaker urging him to guard against any unlawful defection.
“Under the law, one cannot simply merge with a party even if they have the support of two-thirds of the MPs. Only the original party can merge if a group has the required two-thirds strength,” he said.
“The discretion lies with the Speaker. So if a group claiming to have two-thirds support approaches to merge with another party, that group cannot be recognised under the rules, as only the original party can merge under the provisions. Even if there are six MPs, it does not matter,” Desai added.
Raut, who alleged that some Maharashtra MPs were being offered “Rs 50 crore” to switch sides, said Birla assured them that he would take into account every aspect of the law before taking any decision.
“The Speaker is a respectable person and he told us that he would keep in mind all aspects if anyone comes to meet him,” he said. PTI NAB SBR SBR KVK KVK
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