Shiv Sena (UBT) to challenge Lok Sabha Speaker's approval of rebel MPs' merger

The Shiv Sena (UBT) faction announced it will challenge the Lok Sabha Speaker's approval of six of its MPs merging with the rival Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde. The UBT faction declared the Speaker's decision "illegal" and contrary to constitutional provisions.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognized the merger, altering the party's strength in the lower house and intensifying the political battle between the two factions. The dispute hinges on the interpretation of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which governs anti-defection laws. The UBT faction contends that while a political party can merge, a group of legislators cannot independently merge with another formation.

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The approval is illegal. We will challenge the decision.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve stated the Speaker's decision violated the anti-defection law and would be challenged in court. He emphasized that dissident MPs could have formed a separate group instead of merging. The Speaker's approval effectively recognizes the six MPs as members of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

Conversely, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction welcomed the Speaker's order, asserting the merger adhered to constitutional and legal frameworks. Sanjay Nirupam, a former MP from the Shinde faction, stated that the six MPs had separated within the legal framework, and the Speaker's allowance of the merger was therefore valid. This development marks another significant moment in the ongoing political and legal conflict between the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions since the party's split in 2022.

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All six MPs parted ways (with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena) within the complete constitutional and legal framework of the anti-defection law. Accordingly, the Lok Sabha Speaker has allowed the merger. We welcome the decision.