Maharashtra Speaker’s decision conflicts with SC ruling on factions
The HinduThe Maharashtra Speaker discerned from the “legislative majority” held by the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde that they were the “real” Shiv Sena. However, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, deciding the Shinde versus Uddhav Thackeray dispute, had directed in a May 2023 judgment that the “Speaker must not base their decision as to which group constitutes the political party on a blind appreciation of which group possesses a majority in the Legislative Assembly”. Shinde had most MLAs A summary of the Speaker’s decision shared with the media said “which faction is the real political party is discernible from the legislative majority which existed when the rival factions emerged”. The Shinde faction was the ‘real Shiv Sena Political Party’ when the rival factions emerged on June 21 2022”.