Maharashtra CM Shinde in Delhi, to meet breakaway Sena MPs
Shinde needs to show a split not just among MLAs but also MPs, MLCs and even counsellor/corporators to escape disqualification under the anti-defection law and establish his party as a separate entity
Amid an impending split in the Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is in Delhi on Tuesday to review the legal strategy on the disqualification petition against 16 MLAs supporting him, filed by the Uddhav Thackeray camp.
The plea will come up for hearing in the apex court on Wednesday.
Shinde is also likely to meet the breakaway faction of the Shiv Sena MPs there on Tuesday, a day after he was anointed as the chief leader of the party at the national executive meeting. “I will definitely meet MPs. Why only 14, we have 18 members in the Lok Sabha,” Shinde said when asked by reporters about his meeting with the breakaway group of Shiv Sena MPs in the national capital.
Intra-Sena tussle
According to reports, there is some debate on who will be party leader and chief whip in Parliament of the Shinde camp. MPs from the camp are expected to get increased security from the Centre, it was said.
Shinde needs to show a split not just among MLAs but also MPs, MLCs and even counsellor/corporators to escape disqualification under the anti-defection law and establish his party as a separate entity. Under the anti-defection law, his camp can’t exist as a non-aligned, unrecognised bloc of MLAs.Â
The camp has two options to avoid disqualification – show a two-third split of the party (across all levels) and form a breakaway faction, or merge with the BJP. The breakaway faction of the Shiv Sena members is also expected to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday with a plea to recognise them as a separate group in the lower house.
Talks with legal team
Asked about his visit to Delhi, the Chief Minister said he was there for discussions with the legal team on the disqualification petition against 16 MLAs supporting him filed by the Uddhav camp. He will also hold discussions with the legal team on the Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations issue as the matter is expected to come up for hearing in the Supreme Court.
The Maharashtra government is committed to providing justice to OBCs, Shinde told reporters there.
To questions on a clutch of petitions related to the Maharashtra political crisis scheduled for hearing in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Shinde said he has faith in the judiciary. “We have unwavering faith and trust in our judiciary. In a democracy, the majority holds significance,” he said.
