SC to hear Shiv Sena (UBT) plea against Speaker's MP merger decision

The Supreme Court will hear a Shiv Sena (UBT) plea challenging Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to recognise the merger of six rebel MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The move increased the Shinde faction's strength to 13 in the Lok Sabha.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to list for hearing a plea by Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) challenging Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to recognise the merger of six rebel MPs with the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Shiv Sena (UBT), mentioned the matter for urgent hearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, submitting that the Speaker had recognised the merger of its six MPs with the rival party. The Speaker's decision has brought the party's functioning in Parliament to a standstill and raised serious constitutional concerns, Kamat told the bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana. Chief Justice Surya Kant agreed to list the plea and said, "We don't know about tomorrow. But we will list it."

Speaker Approves Merger

On July 18, ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs into the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde. Shiv Sena (UBT) now has three MPs in the Lok Sabha. The strength of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha has increased to 13 from seven, according to a circular issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Separate Seating for Ex-TMC MPs

Additionally, the Speaker also approved separate seating in the Lok Sabha for 20 MPs who broke away from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and announced a merger with the regional party, the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI).

'Democracy Weakened'

Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey on Saturday said that the Lok Sabha Speaker's approval for the merger of six party MPs into the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena "weakened democracy."

Last month, Shiv Sena (UBT) witnessed another split, with six Lok Sabha MPs joining the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. (ANI)

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