Mumbai, Jan 9 (IANS) Maharashtra awaits with bated breath for the much-anticipated verdict in the disqualification case of Shiv Sena MLAs, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The "make or break" ruling, is expected to be delivered by Speaker Rahul Narwekar amid a cloud over his Sunday lunch meeting with Shinde that has attracted howls protests from the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress-Shiv Sena-UBT-Nationalist Congress Party-SP).

Narwekar, who came under fire on multiple occasions for the alleged delays in delivering the verdict, is likely to finally pronounce it around 4 pm on Wednesday, the extended deadline given by the Supreme Court.

Despite showing a brave face, many in the ruling Shinde-led Shiv Sena are apprehensive over the outcome, while the ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-UBT is already planning its next move in case the verdict goes against it.

The Speaker completed the hearings in the 34 petitions two weeks ago, filed by the Shinde and Thackeray factions, along with voluminous supporting material running into over 2.50 lakh documents.

In the hearings, the Speaker categorised and examined the pleas on various parameters like anti-party activities, defection, election of Speaker, violation of Whips, etc. to arrive at his final conclusion on disqualification.

Anticipating the worst, SS-UBT leader Anil Parab said on Tuesday that if the ruling goes against them, then his party would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court and expressed hopes that the Speaker would not act like a party functionary.

However, ruling Shiv Sena MP Dr. Shrikant E. Shinde said that the outcome would be as per the proceedings before the Speaker and will favour truth, while other leaders indicated that they expect the verdict in their favour, and the government would not be disturbed.

The case arose after the MVA ally Shiv Sena split vertically in June 2022 and led to the collapse of the Thackeray-led government, and Shinde was anointed the new CM.

Following that political earthquake, both the Sena factions filed cross-petitions seeking action against each other’s MLAs under the anti-defection laws, violating the Whips, etc.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission had recognised the Shinde group and allotted it the name of Shiv Sena and the bow and arrow poll symbol, while the Thackeray-led faction was given the name Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and given the flaming torch election symbol.

In May, the Supreme Court had directed the Speaker to pronounce his decision on the real Shiv Sena and then asked him to give his ruling on the disqualification petitions by December 31.

Days before that deadline, on December 20, the SC granted an extension of 10 days till January 10 to give the verdict – which could have major political ramifications in the state, both immediate and in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections this year.

Later, the case of the NCP – which has also split vertically in July 2023 – is expected to be taken up with the verdict likely by January 31, with its own separate political consequences.

Mumbai, Aug 7 (IANS) A highly venomous and angry cobra was rescued from Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s bungalow, ‘Matoshri’ in Bandra east, as his family heaved a sigh of relief, an official said here on Monday.

On Sunday afternoon, there was a frantic call to the Wild Life Animal Protection & Rescue Association (WLAPRA) activist and snake-friend Atul Kamble, who lives nearby, that a snake was slithering around in the compound.

“I immediately rushed there with my gear and checked the entire premises. Finally I located it hiding, very scared and trembling behind a water tank in the bungalow compound,” Kamble, 34, told IANS of his rescue mission.

Aided by his 15-year experience and rescuing over 9,000 snakes and other reptiles in the city, Kamble caught the 4-feet-long cobra and placed it in an open space.

“It was surrounded by a large and excited crowd, it seemed to be in an aggressive mood, so I had to calm it down… After the people retreated some distance away, it relaxed and then opened its hood in a ‘striking’ position to convey that he is the ‘Boss’ there,” smiled Kamble.

The entire operation lasted a nail-biting 15-20 minutes with the Thackeray household and others gawking as Kamble tricked the cobra into his bag.

Then he informed the Thane Forest Division’s Round Officer (Borivali-Bandra) Roshan Shinde and as per the rules, the cobra was released back into its natural habitat.

A relieved and grinning ‘Tiger’ Thackeray personally came out to thank and appreciate Kamble for his efforts. 

Kamble said that many snakes have been displaced by the ongoing Mumbai Metro lines works, and there are many complaints – almost 3-4 dozen daily – of snakes sneaking into residential complexes, homes or offices.

He cautioned that after the Mumbai Metro works are over, there may be complaints of not only snakes, but even leopards entering the underground metro stations.

New Delhi, July 4 (IANS)  The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has moved the apex court against delay by the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker in deciding the disqualification proceedings filed against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his camp.

The petition alleged that Speaker Rahul Narwekar is delaying the adjudications of the disqualification plea to permit “the illegal continuance of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister, against whom the disqualification petitions are pending”.

On May 11, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court had directed that the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker “must decide disqualification petitions in a reasonable time” against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, who were accused of anti-party activities.

“Despite the categorical directions …..that the pending disqualification petitions must be decided within a reasonable period, (the Speaker) has chosen to not conduct a single hearing pursuant to the judgment of the Hon’ble Court,” stated the latest plea filed by the Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sunil Prabhu.

The petition said that the Speaker, when deciding the disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, acts as a judicial tribunal and must act fairly without any bias.

“The constitutional requirement of fairness enjoins upon the Speaker the obligation to decide the question of disqualification in an expeditious manner,” it said while referring to a previous judgment of the Supreme Court where it has been held that disqualification petitions should normally be decided within 90 days.

In its recent judgment around the Maharashtra political crisis, the top court had refused to reinstate Uddhav Thackery as the Chief Minister as he had tendered his resignation voluntarily before facing the floor test in the house. The five judges unanimously had held that that then Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority, but said that it was justified to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government after the post of the Chief Minister felt vacant as Thackeray tendered resignation on June 29.

Declaring the decision taken by the Speaker to recognise Bharat Gogawale (from Shinde faction) as the Chief Whip of Shiv Sena in place of Prabhu as “contrary to law”, the CJI D.Y. Chandrachud-led constitution bench had held that the political party and not the legislature party appoints the Whip and the Leader of the party in the House.

Mumbai, May 11 (IANS) Soon after the Supreme Court's verdict with its scathing observations, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday said that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has lost the moral authority and must immediately quit.

Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut also welcomed the SC verdict calling it a trendsetter not only for Maharashtra but for the entire country.

"The SC has said that this is a totally illegal and unconstitutional government and all the decisions of the (then) Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari were wrong," said Raut.

On the issue of the SC observations that if the then CM Uddhav Thackeray had not resigned, then he could have been reinstated, Raut said that indicates that the present government is illegal.

About the SC move to let the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) decide on the disqualification of 16 MLAs, including CM Shinde, Raut said: "Let the matter come before the Speaker. With this judgement, the Speaker cannot take any decision that will be contrary to the Constitution of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar."

Over the SC stamp of approval on Sunil Prabhu as the party Whip, Raut said that this means that the Whip of the Shinde faction (Bharat Gogawale) is also illegal.

"Considering all this, Shinde and his team has lost the ethical ground to continue in office and must tender their resignations forthwith," reiterated Raut.

Thane, April 4 (IANS) In a shocker, a seven-month pregnant woman activist of the Shiv Sena (UBT) was brutally assaulted by some persons in Thane, the hometown of Shiv Sena Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, officials said here

The incident happened late on Monday.

Former CM and Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, his wife and son Aditya Thackeray rushed to Thane to enquire after the health of their party worker, Roshani Shinde-Pawar, was admitted to the ICU of a nearby hospital.

The Kasarvadavali Police Station has filed a case and is probing the matter, while Shinde conducted a meeting of officials on the issue that has snowballed into another political fracas between the two breakaway Sena factions.

According to officials, the trigger for the attack on Shinde-Pawar was a social media post made by her on Monday that enraged the rival side activists.

Late Monday night, a group of workers, allegedly belonging to the Shiv Sena, brutally assaulted Shinde-Pawar and scooted from the area.

The grievously injured Shinde-Pawar in an advanced stage of pregnancy was rushed to a local hospital and later shifted to the ICU this morning.

Sena (UBT) senior leader Sushma Andhare condemned the attack, saying that this has been repeatedly happening all over the state and cited the instance of another party worker Girish Kolhe, who also hammered in the CM's home town, and another woman activist beaten up in Kalyan town.

"When we (the Opposition) go to lodge police complaints, we are not entertained, but culprits supporting the ruling alliance are given priority in lodging complaints against us and immediate action is taken," Andhare said.

Local politicians claim that Shinde-Patil's post allegedly taking a potshot at the CM did not go down well with his supporters, resulting in the attack.

New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued summons to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, MP Sanjay Raut and MLA Aditya Thackeray in a defamation case filed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's aide Rahul Ramesh Shewale.

Shewale had filed the defamation suit against the three for certain statements alleging that the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction bought the party symbol for Rs 2,000 crore.

While appearing for Shewale, senior advocate Rajiv Nayyar prayed the court to pass an injunction order to restrain them from making any further defamatory claims, Justice Prateek Jalan said that an order will be passed only after having the response of parties.

The court listed the case for next hearing on April 17.

The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a batch of cross-petitions filed by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde groups in connection with the Maharashtra political crisis. The court heard submissions for nine days before reserving the judgment. A five-judge constitution bench, headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, posed several questions to senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the Thackeray group.

The Chief Justice questioned Singhvi on whether there was a valid exercise of power by the Governor to call for a trust vote and what happens if the court concludes that there was no valid exercise of power by the Governor. When Singhvi stated that Thackeray's resignation and not facing the trust vote is irrelevant, the Chief Justice asked how the court could reinstate a Chief Minister who did not even face a floor test.

The hearing commenced on February 21, and senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Singhvi, Devadatt Kamat, and advocate Amit Anand Tiwari made their submissions. The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance led by Shinde came to power in Maharashtra after Thackeray resigned, sensing defeat. On June 29, 2022, the apex court refused to stay the Governor's direction to take a floor test.

The Supreme Court has raised serious questions about the Maharashtra Governor's call for a trust vote, which has precipitated the political crisis triggered by rebellion in the Shiv Sena. During a hearing on Wednesday, a five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the governor, whether the call for the trust vote was tantamount to breaking the party. The court also said that the Governor should not enter into any area that precipitates the fall of a government.

The Chief Justice highlighted that the Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray, had not been willing to disqualify the 39 rebel MLAs belonging to the Eknath Shinde group as it would have been to their disadvantage. He emphasized that the governor should not enter into any area which precipitates the fall of a government and questioned what had happened overnight after three years of a stable alliance with the Congress and NCP.

During the hearing, the bench observed that the Governor must be conscious of the fact that his calling for a trust vote may lead to a situation that could result in the toppling of a government. The bench also expressed serious concerns about the threats issued to rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and said that in politics, sometimes things are said which are inappropriate and should never be said.

The arguments in the matter will continue in the after session. The political crisis in Maharashtra has been triggered due to rebellion in the Shiv Sena, which has led to the Governor's call for a trust vote.

Thane, March 7 (IANS) Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's hometown witnessed an ugly tussle between his Shiv Sena and the Shiv Sena (UBT) activists each trying to grab a local 'shakha' (branch) of the party late on Monday.

The Vartak Nagar Police rushed to the Shivainagar to intervene in the minor scuffle and managed to peacefully disperse the crowds as 'holika dahan' was celebrated with joy in the vicinity.

The activists of the two rival factions converged at the Shivainagar 'shakha' set up by the Shiv Sena attempting to establish their supremacy over it, in view of the upcoming civic elections.

The 'shakha' is currently being controlled by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) but the rival Shiv Sena members allegedly attempted to install their banner and take it over.

The fracas saw some jostling among the two factions, a high-decibel slogan-shouting and condemnation on both sides for nearly an hour before the police calmed them and the groups went their ways.

Late in the night, a video of the ruckus outside the 'shakha' went viral with police patiently separating them and later clearing up the crowds.

Earlier, the Shiv Sena had taken over the party offices in the Maharashtra legislature and parliament, and is said to be coveting other establishments and offices in different parts of the state.

However, the iconic Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar, Mumbai - which belongs to a family trust of the Thackerays' - is retained by Sena (UBT), and the Shinde faction set up a new Central Office in Thane last month.

Founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray, the Shiv Sena had set up over 160 local neighbourhood 'shakhas' in Mumbai, and many more in its strongholds in Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Palghar and other districts to interact directly with the local population.

These local branches - run by a powerful 'Shakha Pramukh' - tried to solve people's grievances with the local or state governments and also proved a success to the party for winning various elections, and many 'Shakha Pramukhs' later rose to become important party functionaries, elected to civic bodies, assembly and parliament.

Mumbai, Feb 17 : The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Friday said it would move the Delhi High Court to challenge the decision of the Election Commission (EC) on awarding the party's original name 'Shiv Sena' and its symbol 'Bow and Arrow' to the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut slammed the EC move, saying it made a mockery of truth and justice.

"... 40 people laid claim over Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena and the EC approved it. The script was already written and ready," said Raut.

The Sena (UBT) leader said "the country is heading towards dictatorship" and "the traitor kept saying that the (EC) verdict will be in his favour. A miracle has happened! Keep fighting".

On the other hand, the BSS leaders including Shinde, Shambhuraj Desai and others welcomed the EC move, and said that they would now start working immediately under the new name and symbol.

"It's a victory for the ideals of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe, all the elected representatives (MLAs and MPs) who are with me and lakhs of workers. It's the triumph of democracy and the EC decision has come on merits in our favour. Our government was formed based on the Constitution, majority support and the peoples' mandate," said Shinde.

The EC verdict was also hailed as 'historic' by the ruling ally state Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and called it 'Satyameva Jayate' (triumph of truth).

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Shinde's party, which was following the ideals of the late Balasaheb Thackeray, has been given the name 'Shiv Sena' and 'Bow and Arrow' symbol.

Fadnavis said that they were hopeful of the verdict as the Election Commission has relied on its past decisions in similar cases, and hence, ruled in favour of Shinde in a free and fearless manner despite pressure from the other side.

Sena (UBT)'s spokesperson Sushma Andhare said that the party will give a legal challenge to the EC ruling and "the next battle will be fought in the courts".

She accused the government of deploying central probe agencies and misusing public offices, which led to the collapse of the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June 2022.

Leader of Opposition in Council Ambadas Danve said that Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray will address the media later on Friday night, and present views on the EC verdict.

Fadnavis added that now the real Shiv Sena, founded by Balasaheb Thackeray, has now come to Shinde who has been following his ideals and principles, and the Sena (UBT) was free to challenge the EC ruling in the high court.

Meanwhile, the ECI decision was greeted with cheers, slogans of "Shiv Sena Zindabad, Eknath Shinde Zindabad", bursting of fire-crackers, distributing sweets, displaying the 'Shiv Sena' name and 'Bow and Arrow' symbols, in the CM's home town Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad and other places in Maharashtra.

(IANS)

New Delhi : The Election Commission (EC) on Friday in an order said that the party name "Shiv Sena" and the symbol "Bow and Arrow" will be retained by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction. The EC observed that the current constitution of the Shiv Sena on which former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was placing reliance is undemocratic.

"While applying the 'Test of party Constitution', the Commission found that the party constitution on which the respondent (Uddhav Thackeray faction) was placing strong reliance is undemocratic," said the Commission in its 78-page order issued on Friday.

"The complete list of office bearers of various bodies was not provided to the Commission, whenever elections were held or appointments were made," said the Commission.

The EC observed that amendments to the constitution in 2018 had undone the act of introducing democratic norms in the 'Party Constitution of 1999', brought by the late Bal Thackeray at the insistence of the Election Commission. The EC order also noted that the undemocratic norms of the original constitution of Shiv Sena, which was not accepted by the Commission in 1999 have been brought back in a surreptitious manner, further making the party akin to a fiefdom.

"The paradox of India being the world's largest democracy and its political field being occupied by some parties which are being treated as fiefdoms is disconnecting. For a truly functioning democracy, it is important that one of the key stakeholders, which is the political parties, are run in a democratic manner and this in turn can be ensured only if the constitution being adopted by them does not allow concentration of power in the hands of a few," said the Election Commission in its order.

The EC also said that the name of 'Balasahebanchi Shivsena' and the symbol of Two Swords and Shield, which was allotted to the petitioner by way of the interim order will henceforth be frozen with immediate effect.

(IANS)