Uddhav Thackeray Hits Out at Speaker for Meeting Eknath Shinde Ahead of Judgment on Sena Disqualification Row

On Tuesday, Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), criticized Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar for holding a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde just before delivering his verdict on the petitions that sought the disqualification of dissenting Shiv Sena MLAs. Addressing a press conference here, Thackeray claimed Narwekar’s meeting with Shinde on Monday is akin to a judge meeting a criminal.

What justice can we expect from him tomorrow, the former CM said. In June 2022, Shinde and a number of other MLAs rebelled against then chief minister Thackeray, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena and collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which also comprised the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress.

On Wednesday, Rahul Narwekar is set to deliver his judgment on the disqualification petitions against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other MLAs, whose dissent led to a Shiv Sena split in June 2022. The Supreme Court, in the previous month, granted an extension until January 10 for Narwekar to decide on the cross-petitions filed by opposing factions of the Shiv Sena, each seeking the disqualification of the other's MLAs. Thackeray noted that since the Supreme Court's directive in May of the previous year for Narwekar to make a decision on the pleas for disqualification of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, the speaker has met with the chief minister on two occasions.

The Election Commission assigned the name 'Shiv Sena' and the symbol of 'bow and arrow' to the faction led by Eknath Shinde. In contrast, the faction led by Thackeray was designated as Shiv Sena (UBT), with a flaming torch as its symbol.