MUMBAI: The fate of Maharashtra politics hangs in the balance as the state assembly speaker prepares to rule on disqualification petitions against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction and nine ministers allied with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. With both sides bracing for the verdicts, expected within the next five days, Chief Minister Shinde has declared his intention to remain in office for the next eight months.
Fast-Track Hearing for Pawar Faction:
Adding to the political drama, a separate schedule has been set for the disqualification petition against the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Hearings regarding this petition will begin on January 16th, followed by cross-examination of Pawar faction MLAs on January 20th and 21st. The cross-examination of MLAs from Sharad Pawar's NCP faction, which filed the petition, will take place on January 22nd and 23rd. Arguments from both sides are scheduled for January 25th to 27th, after which the assembly speaker is expected to issue the final verdict by the end of the month.
Potential Outcomes:
- A verdict in favor of the Shinde faction could maintain the current political status quo in Maharashtra. However, the Uddhav Thackeray faction is likely to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
- Conversely, a ruling against the Shinde faction could throw the state government into turmoil, prompting potential reshuffles or even fresh elections.