Mumbai: The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is Thursday expected to deliver its judgment on the Maharashtra political crisis.
Back in March of this year, the apex court had reserved its verdict on a series of cross-petitions submitted by the factions of Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. These petitions pertained to the crisis that had taken place in the state last year, following a split within the Shiv Sena party, as a result of which Shinde had become the chief minister and formed a government with the BJP in June of 2022.
Among the petitions submitted, one seeks the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs — from Shinde’s faction — who had initially rebelled against Thackeray’s leadership.
The rebel group led by Shinde had, in turn, issued a notice against the Maharashtra Assembly Deputy Speaker, Narhari Zirwal, which stated that any action taken against the dissident Sena MLAs under the Constitution’s 10th Schedule (which deals with disqualification on the grounds of defection) could not be pursued since a notice for Zirwal’s removal was already pending.
At present, the composition of the house is as follows: the BJP holds 105 MLAs and has the support of seven independents. The Shiv Sena has 40 MLAs and the backing of 10 independents, as well as 1 MNS MLA. This comes to a total of 163 seats for the government, which is well over the halfway mark of 145.
The opposition camp has 53 NCP MLAs, 45 Congress MLAs, 16 Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MLAs, 2 from Samajwadi Party (SP), and 2 from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
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The list
Of the 16 MLAs facing disqualification, one is Chief Minister Shinde himself. A four-time MLA from Kopri-Pachpakhadi in the Thane constituency, Shinde has previously also served as the guardian minister for Thane under both the BJP-Shiv Sena government and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. He led the rebellion of 39 MLAs and currently holds important portfolios such as urban development, transport, and environment.
A look at the other MLAs facing disqualification:
Abdul Sattar
A three-time MLA from Sillod, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, he currently serves as a cabinet minister for agriculture in the state government. In 2019, he had defected from Congress to join the Shiv Sena.
Sandipan Bhumre
The five-time MLA from Paithan in Marathwada currently serves as a cabinet minister for the employment guarantee scheme and horticulture.
Sanjay Shirsat
He has been elected as an MLA three times from the Sambhajinagar West constituency and has been a member of the Shiv Sena throughout his political career.
Tanaji Sawant
Cabinet minister for public health and family welfare, Sawant is a first-time MLA from Dharashiv constituency and had left the NCP to join the Shiv Sena. He has previously served on Vidhan parishad for three terms.
Yamini Jadhav
She is a first time MLA from Byculla, Mumbai. Her husband Yashwant Jadhav was the leader of the house for Shiv Sena in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Chimanrao Patil
He is a two-time MLA from Erandol, Jalgaon, and has been associated with Shiv Sena from the beginning.
Bharat Gogawale
Currently serving as the chief whip for the Shiv Sena, he is a three-time MLA from Mahad and holds importance in the Konkan area.
Lata Sonawane
She is a first-time MLA from Chopda, Jalgaon constituency.
Prakash Surve
He is a two-time MLA from Magathane, Mumbai, and had switched from the NCP to Shiv Sena.
Balaji Kinikar
A three-time MLA from Ambernath, Thane — Shinde’s bastion — Kinikar needs MLAs on his side for his hold on the region.
Anil Babar
He is a four-time MLA from Khanapur, but has switched parties several times in the past — from the Congress to NCP to Shiv Sena.
Mahesh Shinde
The one-time MLA from Koregaon constituency, Mahesh moved from the BJP to Shiv Sena. His margin of victory, at over 6,000, was less compared to others.
Sanjay Raimulkar
A three-time MLA from Buldhana.
Ramesh Bornare
A one-time MLA from Vaijapur.
Balaji Kalyankar
A first-time MLA from Nanded North.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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