Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday demanded that Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar take a decision on the disqualification of 16 MLAs at the earliest.
He made the demand a day after the Supreme Court verdict on last year’s political crisis that resulted in the fall of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by him following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who later joined hands. BJP has to become the Chief Minister.
Thackeray’s party colleague Anil Parab said he would write to Speaker Naverkar urging him to take a decision on the matter at the earliest.
“Gift of life to 16 MLAs is temporary as Supreme Court has given ‘appropriate time’ and it has limits. The Speaker should take his decision at the earliest,” Thackeray said.
Citing the Supreme Court ruling that he could have been reinstated as chief minister had he not resigned, Thackeray said it meant the governor’s actions, such as calling him for a floor test, were illegal.
“It means the present government is illegitimate. I am satisfied with my decision as I have resigned on the basis of morality.
He also challenged the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party to face the election in the “last court”, which he said belonged to the people of the state.
Parab said, ‘We have been saying that this government is illegal. Whip plays an important role. The whip at that time belonged to Sunil Prabhu (Thackeray camp MLA) and that it was violated is well established. The Speaker should not take much time to decide on this.
Parab said, “There is no escape route for the rebel MLAs and there is very little time left for them.”
The Supreme Court on Thursday said it cannot restore the Thackeray-led MVA government after it resigned in June last year without facing a floor test. It has asked the Speaker to take a decision on the disqualification of the 16 MLAs within a “reasonable period”.
The court also said that the Speaker’s decision to appoint Shinde faction’s Bharat Gogawale as the whip of the Shiv Sena in the Assembly was against the law.
On the role of then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the top court said, “It was not proper for the Governor to call Mr. Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House as he did not have reasons based on objective material.” came to the conclusion that Mr. Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House.”
