New Delhi, The Supreme Court will hear on July 20 the dispute of Shiv Sena MLAs in Maharashtra. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramanna will hear the matter. This bench will hear the disqualification notice given by Deputy Speaker Narhari Jirwal to 16 MLAs of Eknath Shinde faction on the complaint of Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray faction. Apart from the Chief Justice, this bench includes Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Hima Kohli.
Earlier, a vacation bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice B Pardiwala had heard the matter and given two weeks’ time to the legislators to respond. But in the meantime the political scenario of the state changed. Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena formed the government in the state with the support of BJP and after that appealed to the new speaker to disqualify 15 MLAs of Uddhav Thackeray faction. The Chief Justice’s Bench will hear the matter.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has said that till the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court hears the matter and gives its verdict, then there is a demand for imposition of President’s rule in Maharashtra. Earlier on Monday, the Supreme Court had asked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker not to take any decision on disqualification of Shiv Sena MLAs. Maharashtra Legislature Secretary Rajendra Bhagwat had issued show cause notices to 53 Shiv Sena MLAs. 40 notices were sent to the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and another 13 notices to the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray.
