Sanjay Shirsat claims rebel MLAs didnt receive whip last year

Ruling Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday claimed legislators who rebelled against party president and then-Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray did not receive any whip in June last year.

On Thursday, November 23, ruling Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat made a bold claim, stating that the legislators who rebelled against party president and then-Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray did not receive any whip in June of last year. During a press conference following the third consecutive day of cross-examination of Sunil Prabhu, Shiv Sena UBT leader and party chief whip, Shirsat accused the rival group of attempting to delay the hearing of disqualification pleas pending adjudication before assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar.

Prabhu's Explanation Unsatisfactory

Shirsat expressed dissatisfaction with the explanation provided by Sunil Prabhu during the cross-examination regarding the issuance of a whip. He asserted that Prabhu failed to present any proof of the whip being issued via mail or WhatsApp. Shirsat further revealed that he personally did not receive any whip either.

Rebellion Against Thackeray's Leadership

Prabhu had claimed to have issued a whip to all the MLAs of the then undivided Shiv Sena to attend a meeting in June last year. Notably, Shirsat is among the 16 MLAs against whom a disqualification petition was filed last year. The hearing for these petitions will continue on Monday.

It is important to note that 40 Sena MLAs, including the current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, had rebelled against Thackeray's leadership in June last year. Previously, the Shiv Sena UBT had accused the rival group led by Shinde of deliberately delaying the hearing of disqualification pleas by posing repetitive questions to Prabhu.

Supreme Court's Intervention

In a significant development, the Supreme Court intervened last month and directed speaker Narwekar to deliver the judgment on the disqualification of rebel Sena MLAs by December 31. The apex court strongly criticized the speaker for the delay in deciding the pleas filed by the Thackeray faction seeking the disqualification of CM Shinde and several MLAs loyal to him. The court emphasized that the speaker cannot defy the orders of the top court.

It is worth mentioning that similar disqualification petitions have also been filed by the Shinde bloc against lawmakers who owe allegiance to Thackeray. On September 18, the Supreme Court directed the speaker to outline a timeline for the adjudication of the disqualification petitions against Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs who had joined forces with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.

Seeking Expeditious Adjudication

The Thackeray faction approached the apex court, seeking a directive for the speaker to expeditiously adjudicate the disqualification petitions within a time-bound manner. The Shiv Sena faced a significant split when a group of MLAs led by Shinde revolted against the party leadership and joined hands with the BJP to form the government. This revolt ultimately led to the collapse of the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Thackeray, with Shinde subsequently taking over as the new chief minister.

The ongoing saga surrounding the disqualification pleas against rebel Sena MLAs continues to unfold, with the Supreme Court's intervention aimed at ensuring a timely resolution. As the hearing resumes on Monday, the fate of the MLAs in question hangs in the balance, potentially impacting the political landscape of Maharashtra.