The Shiv Sena (UBT) has petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s decision approving the merger of six of its members of Parliament into the rival Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Urgent Hearing Requested
Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing the Shiv Sena (UBT), mentioned the petition on Tuesday before a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M Pancholi. Kamat requested an urgent hearing for Wednesday, to which Chief Justice Kant replied that the court would consider the matter.
During the proceedings, Kamat informed the bench that the Speaker formally recognized the merger on July 18, shortly before the start of the Monsoon Session. He highlighted that elected representatives joining political entities they had previously campaigned and won against is turning into a broader national trend.
Shift in Parliamentary Strength
The Speaker’s decision significantly alters the composition of both factions in the Lower House. A total of nine lawmakers were originally elected on Shiv Sena (UBT) tickets, with six of them defecting to join the Shinde-led group. According to official sources, this integration increases the total numerical strength of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Lok Sabha to 13.
Prior to the Speaker’s ruling, the Shiv Sena (UBT) had formally petitioned Om Birla seeking the disqualification of the six rebel parliamentarians, arguing that their defections violated the statutory provisions of the anti-defection law.
