Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar Tuesday said that he has received five petitions for disqualification of 54 Shiv Sena MLAs that were filed by both the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Narvekar said that he will have a hearing of every petition and indicated that the process may take time. The Supreme Court, in its order on May 12 on the political crisis in Maharashtra, had asked Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions “within a reasonable period”. Except for Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray and Rutuja Latke, all other 54MLAs of the undivided Shiv Sena are now facing disqualification petitions and not only the 16MLAs of Shinde-led Sena. “The petitions have been filed against each other by both the sides (Sena (UBT) and Shinde Sena). Some have been filed by Sunil Prabhu and some have been filed by Bharat Gogawale. I will hear every petition," Narvekar told The Indian Express. Narwekar said that even as the apex court in its verdict has mentioned that the appointment of Gogawale as chief whip was illegal, if during the inquiry it is found that the appointment was made by the real political party (Shiv Sena) then Gogawale can also be reinstated again . “The apex court has not barred me from reistating Gogawale again if it is found that his appointment is done rightfully by the political party,” Narvekar said. Narvekar also clarified that he will neither delay to take the decision nor he will take the decision in hurry. “I will try to make the decision as soon as possible. There will be no discrimination while taking a decision on the disqualification of 16 MLAs. I will first identify which was the real political party in 2022 and who was appointed as a chief whip by the party,” Narvekar said .
