Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmakers met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday and sought a copy of the demands made by the six rebels, who recently joined Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s leadership of the Shiv Sena.
After the meeting, Shiv Sena MPs Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant told reporters that they had asked the Speaker to “abide by the provisions of the Constitution” and sought a copy of the rebels’ demands.
“We asked him if he had received any appeal from the rebels…” Sawant said, adding that the Speaker told them that he had not received anything in writing from the rebel MPs.
Desai said they assured the Speaker that the 10th Schedule is clear: “No group of the Legislative Council party can merge into another party on its own, even if it gets a two-thirds majority.”
He added that the Speaker of Parliament will update them after checking with his office whether the rebel MPs have submitted anything in writing.
Read also | 6 Sena-UBT rebel MPs were upset about the funds, but used 1% to 26% of the funds for development work
The Speaker is set to decide another similar case involving 20 dissident Trinamool Congress MPs who wanted to merge with the NCPI.
Of the nine Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT), six of them crossed over to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Sawant, Desai and Rajabhau Waje remain with the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Those who defected were Nagesh Ashtekar, Sanjay Deshmukh, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Dina Patel, Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar and Bhausaheb Wakshwar.
In February 2023, the Election Commission recognized the Shinde-led faction as the true Shiv Sena. Shinde was the main architect of the split in the undivided Shiv Sena in 2022 that brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
During the meeting, the MPs also asked whether the letter from the six MPs seeks to merge or recognize them as a separate group. Birla did not reveal the details and said that the legal department is studying the matter. He told the Thackeray camp MPs that he would seek a legal opinion on their letter.
When contacted, Sawant said the party has provided a letter from party president Uddhav Thackeray and a copy of the relevant provisions in the Tenth Schedule highlighting the rules of defection. “We have submitted a letter from party president Uddhav Thackeray and also reiterate the provisions in the Tenth Schedule. We hope that Speaker Om Birla will take a decision in accordance with the legal provisions,” he said. Sawant said.
Lok Sabha secretariat staff said Birla will look into both the issues from a legal perspective and may consult experts before taking a decision.
In response to the developments, Congress Party spokeswoman, Shamma Mohammed, accused the ruling establishment of undermining democratic values.
“There is an undeclared emergency in this country. Members of Parliament are being bought off, democracy is being undermined. We have seen it in Bengal, where 20 MPs have joined another party. How is this possible? All six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs should resign and contest again under the BJP symbol if they wish. Fight openly, do not hide. Show the people if you can win. You cannot claim victory under one symbol and then switch sides,” she said.
(With inputs from agencies)
