In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India will issue a decision on the Maharashtra political crisis in June 2022, which was brought on by the split within the Shiv Sena party. Two groups had formed as a result of the crisis, one headed by Eknath Shinde, the chief minister of Maharashtra, and the other by Uddhav Thackeray.
The question of 16 Sena members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) being disqualified is now being heard by the Supreme Court. Despite the whip being issued, these MLAs—including Shinde—received disqualification notices for failing to show up at a party meeting called by the then-chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray.
When Shinde requested a trust vote in July on the floor of the state legislative assembly, the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena coalition received 164 of the 288 votes necessary to win the majority and become the chief minister.
DY Chandrachud, the Chief Justice of India, has been presided over a constitution bench that has been hearing a number of petitions submitted by both Sena groups since June 2022. On March 16, the five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, which is made up of Chief Justice Chandrachud and Justices M. R. Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and P. S. Narasimha, wrapped up the hearing on a series of appeals brought by both Sena parties and reserved judgement.
The judgement is eagerly anticipated since it would have a significant impact on Maharashtra’s political climate.