Deadlock in House, Speaker holds key

In the House, Shiv Sena leaders initially claimed they had 52 MLAs with them and were therefore the real Sena. Later, they changed the figure to 61. Congress and NCP MLAs supported Rane during these unruly exchanges.

Proceedings were called off for the day by mutual consent when the House was called to order at 2.11 pm after two brief adjournments.

The deadlock now hinges on how Kupekar interprets Rane’s ouster.

The Sena erred a week ago when its leader Bal Thackeray announced Rane’s expulsion soon after he resigned. For the Assembly to recognise the ouster, the Sena Legislature Party needed to convene and ask its MLAs to pass a resolution unseating Rane.

Meanwhile Rane, in his capacity as the Sena-appointed Leader of the Opposition, issued a whip for a meeting of party MLAs. He then sought to disqualify those who kept away.

Realising its mistake, the Sena called a meeting of the SSLP (minus Rane’s supporters) and passed a resolution against the rebel leader. But the damage was done by then. Rane’s ouster as Opposition leader will not come into effect unless he resigns from the post or the Speaker endorses the Sena’s proposal.

The Speaker, who belongs to the NCP, has to decide on some contentious issues including Rane’s seeking disqualification of 23 Sena MLAs for defying him, his removal by the SSLP and Rane’s appointment of his own man, Vinayak Nimhan, as the party whip.

The Sena and the Rane factions both claim to be the original party and neither has sought Kupekar’s recognition as a separate group as this would invite disqualification.

Two-thirds of the party’s legislature strength — 42 MLAs in this case — is required to form a breakaway group. Rane does not have the numbers and the Sena does not want to be recognised as a separate group. It would rather continue as the original party.

Rane has filed a petition with the Speaker seeking the disqualification of 23 Sena MLAs for defying his whip seeking their presence at a July 8 meeting. He originally sought action against 25 MLAs but today dropped the names of Kashinath Mengal and Sanjay Pawar, both from Nashik, saying they had decided to back him.