Mumbai: With the awaited assembly speaker's verdict looming over the Shiv Sena's internal rift, Maharashtra's political arena is ablaze with tension. The state awaits the crucial decision on the disqualification petitions filed by opposing factions within the party, setting the course not only for the Eknath Shinde government but also for the future dynamics between the Sena's rival groups.
Scheduled for Wednesday at 4 pm, Speaker Narwekar's imminent ruling comes after a lengthy 18-month period since the Shiv Sena experienced a divisive split, triggering a significant shift in the state's leadership.
The temperature rose on Tuesday when Uddhav Thackeray, president of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT), escalated tensions by highlighting a recent meeting between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, one of the implicated MLAs, and Speaker Rahul Narwekar. This encounter led to a verbal clash between the two sides.
Thackeray, addressing the media at his residence 'Matoshree,' questioned the integrity of the impending verdict, citing the meeting between the judge (Narwekar) and the accused (Shinde). He emphasized that his party had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court objecting to this interaction, submitted on Monday.
Supporting this sentiment, Sharad Pawar, founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), echoed concerns about the impartiality of a case where the hearing party engages with the defendant.
In response, Narwekar defended his actions, stating that his meetings with the chief minister were within the scope of his duties and were not against any regulations. He brushed off Thackeray's accusations, suggesting a clear motive behind them.
The impending verdict carries weighty implications, as Thackeray remarked that it would determine the existence or 'murder' of democracy. The Supreme Court had previously extended the deadline to January 10 for Narwekar to decide on the disqualification petitions, a directive given in May last year.
The situation arose in June 2022 when Shinde and several MLAs rebelled against Thackeray, leading to a fracture within the Shiv Sena and the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition.
With the assembly elections in Maharashtra approaching in the latter half of 2024, the outcome of this verdict holds significant ramifications for the political landscape in the state.
—Input from Agencies