Mumbai: Shiv Sena faces new blow as Speaker approaches ED, Shinde faction prepares for whip change

In another setback for the Shiv Sena (UBT), Speaker Rahul Narvekar has reportedly approached the Election Commission (EC) regarding the constitution of political parties, while the Shinde faction has begun preparations to change its whip in the house.

Following the Supreme Court's verdict, which deemed the appointment of Bharat Gogawale as the whip by the breakaway faction under Eknath Shinde as incorrect, it was seen as a major blow to the Shinde government in the state. However, the Shinde faction has now decided to appoint a new whip, and the process has already been initiated, according to party sources.

Meanwhile, the constituents of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the grand alliance of opposition parties in the state, have been demanding a prompt decision on the status of the 16 MLAs from the breakaway faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Simultaneously, Speaker of the Assembly Rahul Narvekar has reportedly taken steps to determine the composition of the 'political party'.

According to the Supreme Court's verdict, the right to appoint the whip lies with the political party and not the legislature party. Therefore, Speaker Narvekar is expected to address the issue of the political party before making any decisions. Sources have revealed that the Election Commission (EC) has been approached to verify the authenticity of the political party's constitution, as the EC holds records of all registered political parties. This development is seen as potentially disadvantageous for the Shiv Sena (UBT), as suggested by political analysts.

From the beginning, Narvekar has maintained a stance of diligently following the complete procedure, without hastening or unduly delaying the decision. However, Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal has criticized the Speaker, claiming that his remarks regarding the timing of the decision are "political."

Zirwal questioned, "How long will he take to investigate the whole issue and make a decision? And when the outcome has already been predetermined, how much time will be wasted?"

Previously, the opposition had criticized Narvekar for his party-switching and public statements on the matter. They also raised concerns about the definition of a "reasonable" timeframe. However, Zirwal expressed his opinion that any timeframe can be considered "reasonable."