Eknath Shinde camp moves Supreme Court, rebel MPs have 3 wishes

Rebel Maharashtra MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde, on Sunday said that they are moving to the Supreme Court in order to challenge Shiv Sena’s move to disqualify them. The apex court’s vacation bench will hear their plea on Monday at 10:30 AM IST.

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Talking about the move to Supreme Court move, the MLA’s said that the Maharashtra crisis in ‘not political, but legal’. Shinde’s plea, filed on Sunday, has challenged ‘rejection of no-confidence motion moved against Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, who belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party’. 

It further argues that recognising Ajay Choudhari as the leader of the Shiv Sena, after sacking Eknath Shinde, is illegal. The MLA from Shivadi Vidhan Sabha constituency has claimed that he has the support of over 2/3 of party leaders. 

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The Shinde camp has made three requests in their petition: 

First: They have challenged Choudhari’s appointment as Sena leader. 

Second: The rebels, led by Shinde, has asked the Supreme Court to not take any action on the disqualification plea against them. They have requested the SC to wait till the motion of removal of Deputy Speaker is decided. 

Third: The MLAs have further asked the SC to direct the Maharashtra governement to arrange security for them and their families. 

Also read: ‘How far can you go’: Uddhav Thackeray’s message to Shiv Sena rebels

Meanwhile,  Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has asked state Director General of Police (DGP) Rajnish Seth to provide adequate police protection to the families and homes of rebel MLAs, a police official said on Sunday.

As per the letter written by Koshyari, he had received a representation on June 25 from 38 MLAs of Shiv Sena, two members of the Prahar Janshakti Party and seven Independents.

“I have received a representation from the MLAs stating that the police security of their families has been illegally and unlawfully withdrawn,” it said.