Supreme Court refuses stay on Speaker's nod to Uddhav Sena MP merger with Shinde faction

Top court declines interim relief

The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to grant an interim stay on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's decision to recognise the merger of 12 Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. A bench heard the petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction, which had challenged the Speaker's move as 'constitutional hara-kiri'.

The court, however, issued notice to the Speaker on the plea, seeking his response. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing in the coming weeks.

The merger decision

Speaker Om Birla had earlier this month approved the merger of the MPs under the anti-defection law. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has argued that the decision was taken without proper verification and that the Speaker acted in a partisan manner. They claim the merger was not voluntary and that the MPs were coerced.

The Shinde faction, which controls the party machinery and the government in Maharashtra, maintains that the merger is legitimate and reflects the will of the legislators. The decision adds to the political strength of the Shinde camp in the Lok Sabha, where the Mahayuti coalition now has a larger number of Shiv Sena MPs.

Legal and political implications

The case is the latest chapter in the protracted legal battle between the two Shiv Sena factions. The dispute over the party name and symbol is already pending before the Supreme Court. The merger of MPs in the Lok Sabha has direct implications for the arithmetic of the House, particularly for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Political observers note that the recognition of the merger strengthens Eknath Shinde's hand within the Mahayuti alliance. With more MPs under his banner, Shinde's bargaining power in coalition matters, both at the Centre and in Maharashtra, is expected to increase. The Uddhav faction, on the other hand, faces a shrinking parliamentary footprint.

What happens next

The Supreme Court will examine the constitutional validity of the Speaker's decision in the upcoming hearings. The Uddhav faction has indicated it will press for a stay on the merger's operational effect. For now, the status quo remains in the Lok Sabha, with the Shinde group poised to consolidate its gains.