After Maharashtra Speaker Narwekar’s notice to Shiv Sena MLAs, Uddhav Thackeray points to SC verdict

Narwekar has asked them to reply to the notice in the next seven days.

The Speaker’s move comes a week after Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Sunil Prabhu moved the Supreme Court over the Speaker’s inaction following the top court verdict on the power struggle in Maharashtra between the Sena factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray said, “The Supreme Court verdict is crystal clear. The Speaker will have to take a decision in that framework. Any decision outside of it will be against democracy and I am sure that the Speaker will not do such a thing. And if it is done, we can always approach the court again”.

He was speaking to reporters at Pohradevi in Yavatmal district on the first day of his two-day tour to Vidarbha.

Prabhu, the chief whip of the Thackeray faction, has initiated disqualification proceedings against Shinde and 15 other Sena MLAs and followed by similar notice against 23 other legislators.

The Shinde-led Sena too has served disqualification notice against Thackeray-affiliated 14 MLAs, except Aaditya Thackeray.

Earlier, replying to his former ally Ajit Pawar from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) switching sides to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)- led state government, Thackeray said he is waiting to see how the BJP handles its new “riff-raffs”.

Asked about his views on the ruling BJP, Thackeray said, “I do not think the BJP deserves anything to be said about it. It has no right to preach us. I am just waiting to see how the BJP handles the new riff-raffs.”

The Thackeray-headed Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed in June 2022 after a revolt led by Shinde.

“Had BJP honored our agreement with (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah of sharing the chief minister’s post for two-and-a-half years, the BJP would have handled the CM office till now, instead of indulging in breaking parties. More importantly, the loyal BJP workers would not have to serve new entrants,” he said, adding that BJP workers who meet him say the same.

“Earlier, party used to face split. Now the entire party is being kidnapped. But wherever I am going, people are telling me that they stand with me,” Uddhav said, adding that irrespective old leaders leaving the party, new faces are getting added every day.