SC asks assembly speaker not to proceed with disqualification plea of Sena MLAs of Uddhav faction

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the newly-elected Maharashtra Assembly speaker not to proceed with the plea seeking disqualification of MLAs of Shiv Sena faction led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of senior advocates led by Kapil Sibal that the several pleas of the Uddhav faction were to be listed on Monday.

The court had said that the petitions would be listed on July 11. I urge that there should be no disqualification till the matter is decided here, Sibal said, adding that earlier the top court had protected the rebel MLAs when they had approached it.

Mr (Tushar) Mehta (Solicitor General who was appearing for the Governor), you please inform the assembly speaker not to take any hearing. Let us see, we will hear the matter, the bench said.

The Thackeray-led faction has also challenged the validity of assembly proceedings held on July 3 and July 4 in which a new speaker of the House was elected and subsequent proceedings of floor test in which the Shinde-led coalition had proved its majority.

The top court had on June 27 kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Deputy Speaker of the state assembly till July 11, and also sought responses from the state government and others on their pleas questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.