The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to examine a petition challenging Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s decision to approve the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) members of Parliament with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notices seeking responses from the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker and other respondents in the case. The court scheduled the next hearing in two weeks.
Legality Of Merger Questioned
The legal petition follows the Speaker’s July 18 ruling, issued ahead of the parliamentary Monsoon session, which formally recognized the shift of six lawmakers from the Shiv Sena (UBT) to the Shinde group.
Prior to the Speaker’s approval, the Shiv Sena (UBT) had submitted arguments to the Speaker’s office maintaining that the six defecting lawmakers should be disqualified under the provisions of the anti-defection law rather than allowed to merge.
Impact On Lok Sabha Numbers
A total of nine lawmakers were originally elected to the Lok Sabha on Shiv Sena (UBT) tickets. Following the departure of six members to the Shinde-led faction, official sources indicated that the numerical strength of the Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha rose to 13.
