New Delhi [India], June 24 (ANI): In a move to protect the structural integrity of their legislative party, a delegation of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Members of Parliament, led by Anil Desai, met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday.
The discussion centred on the strict application of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, aimed at preventing any unauthorised splintering or recognition of factions within the House.
Speaking to ANI, Desai emphasised that the party had explicitly cautioned the Speaker against entertaining claims from any faction that does not meet the legal requirements for a merger.
“The letter we gave last time to Om Birla Ji, as Lok Sabha Speaker, mentioned that any faction or group approaching him to solicit arrangements in the House, apart from showing reasons of merger, cannot be allowed under Schedule 10 of the Constitution,” Desai stated.
The core of the party’s argument rests on the anti-defection law, which mandates specific criteria for a political party’s split to be considered valid under parliamentary rules. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership is seeking to ensure that the Speaker does not grant legitimacy to any group that has not undergone the mandatory formal process.
“We requested that if anything arises, he should inform us and hear us first,” Desai explained. “That is why he invited us today, on the 24th. We met him and submitted our representation again, citing constitutional provisions. We emphasised that unless the original party merges with another political party, and two-thirds of the members of that legislature party agree, only then can a merger be valid.”
Desai raised pointed questions regarding the future of Indian democracy if constitutional safeguards against defections are not strictly upheld. Desai expressed profound concern over the procedural handling of the defections.
“Otherwise, if it is not upheld and not followed, then where do we go? What democracy is there in the country? That would be a big question.” Desai firmly rejected the Shinde faction’s claims that the transition was constitutionally compliant, labelling the move a “foul cry.” He stated, “What they have done is completely wrong, and we are seeking justice at the hands of the Lok Sabha Speaker.”
Responding to claims by the Shinde-led Shiv Sena that the move was carried out in accordance with constitutional provisions, Desai rejected the assertion.
“I see what others are doing. I would say it is a foul cry from their side. What they have done is completely wrong, and we are seeking justice at the hands of the Lok Sabha Speaker,” he said.
The controversy erupted after six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPs formally joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena earlier this week.
Eknath Shinde called the defection the “second phase” of his 2022 push to reclaim the party’s ideological roots. The move has left Uddhav Thackeray’s faction with just 3 Lok Sabha MPs. The six defectors — Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Bhausaheb Rajaram Wakchaure, Nagesh Bapurao Patil-Ashtikar, and Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar — meet the two-thirds threshold under the Tenth Schedule, avoiding immediate disqualification.
While the Shinde camp maintains that all legislative processes have been completed to formalise the merger, the UBT camp is banking on judicial precedents, such as the 2023 Supreme Court judgment on the Shiv Sena crisis, to argue that the legislative party lacks an independent existence from the parent organisation.
As the matter now rests with the Speaker’s office, the political drama continues to serve as a stark reminder of the complexities surrounding anti-defection laws and the ongoing battle for the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray’s original political movement. (ANI)
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