A fierce controversy has erupted here over a move by Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar to have a closed door meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ahead of his impending ruling seeking disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde himself, Narwekar — who has been directed by the Supreme Court to decide on the disqualification petitions filed by before him after an unprecedented rebellion within the Shiv Sena — has been directed by the Supreme Court to give his ruling in the much-discussed case seeking the disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs, including the Chief Minister,  by January 10, 2024.

Much to the chagrin of the Opposition Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Shinde held a closed door meeting with the chief minister  for 40-odd minutes at the latter’s official residence “Varsha” on Sunday, raising questions of propriety.

Questioning the Speaker’s move to meet Shinde ahead of the his decision on the disqualification of the latter and 15 other Shiv Sena MLAs,  the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut charged that Narwekar’s act had “imperilled” democracy and the Constitution.

“In the pleas seeking disqualification, the Speaker is like a judge. But, he went to meet the accused (now the chief minister) behind closed doors and have lunch with him. The Speaker has been given responsibility in the disqualification case by the Supreme Court by January 10. This is highly objectionable,” Raut said.

Talking to media persons here, Raut expressed serious doubts about the outcome in the MLAs’ disqualification case, Raut said: “Here is a Speaker who suddenly falls, then suddenly reovers and gets into his car to go to meet the chief minister,” Raut said.

“Just three days before the pronouncement of the verdict in the MLAs’ disqualification case, the Speaker goes and meets the chief minister and accused in the case.. What kind of justice can we expect from the Speaker?,” Raut asked.

Deploring the Speaker’s act, Raut said that Narwekar – by meeting the chief minister ahead of his delivering his verdict in the disqualification had endangered the Constitution and judicial system in the country where in ‘judge’ ( Speaker) meets the ‘accused’ (Shinde) meet, have lunch together, and then the ‘judge’ (Narwekar) leaves the chief minister’s official residence all smiling”.

Apart from  chief minister Shinde, the 15 other  Sena MLAs who are facing the threat of disqualification are: MLAs Sanjay Shirsat, Bharat Gogawale Tanaji Sawant, Sandeepan Bhumre, Abdul Sattar; MLAs Yamini Jad*hav, Prakash Surve, Mahesh Shinde, Lata Sonawane, Balaji Kinikar, Ramesh Bornale, Sanjay Raimulkar, Chimanrao Patil and Balaji Kalankar.

It may be recalled that Shinde  - who along with 15 Shiv Sena MLAs  had walked out of the parentSena camp – later mustered a strength of 40  rebel Sena MLAs and teamed with the Fadnavis-led BJP and toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and formed his own government in last week of June 2022.    

The Shiv Sena (UBT), in petition seeking disqualification of Shinde and 15 other party MLAs, had claimed that despite a party whip, these 16 MLAs failed to attend the meeting convened by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022, which amounted to anti-party activity and attracted disqualification as per the rules.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) had moved the Supreme Court questioning the delay in giving ruling in the MLAs’ disqualification case. The apex court had on December 22, 2023 set January 10, 2024 as deadline for delivering the judgement in the case.

Ahead of the Supreme Court’s directive to Narwekar, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the speaker, had told the apex court that there were a total of 34 petitions and 133 respondents in the case the Speaker would have to give his ruling under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The Speaker would conduct the proceedings even during the Winter Session of the Assembly held in Nagpur between December 7 and December 20, 2023.

“Hence, even if the hearing of the disqualification petitions is over on December 22, 2023, the Speaker would not be able to peruse the papers and work on the judgments before December 26, 2023,” the SG had told the court, while urged the court to extend the deadline from the earlier December 31, 2023.