The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Friday said it will take legal action against five MPs of the rival Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) for violating the whip issued to all Sena MPs to vote against the no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition against the Narendra Modi government.
The five MPs had walked out along with members of Opposition parties led by the Congress during the Prime Minister’s speech in the Lower House before the no-confidence motion was defeated by voice vote.
“The day the no-confidence motion was brought by the Opposition, a whip was issued to all Shiv Sena MPs to vote on behalf of the Modi government. The whip was sent through courier, email, and WhatsApp. Even on the day of voting, a reminder was sent to all Sena MPs. It was clearly mentioned that they would face legal action if they violated the whip,” Shinde faction MP Rahul Shewale, who is the group leader of Sena MPs in the Lok Sabha, said in Delhi.
‘Single entity’
The MP from Mumbai South Central constituency said despite the split within the Sena, the party was recognised as a single entity in the Lok Sabha. He said the Uddhav faction MPs would be issued a legal notice on August 14 and disqualification proceedings could be initiated against them. “We are going to issue a legal notice to the five Sena (UBT) MPs through a lawyer. They may even face disqualification,” he said.
Mr. Shewale stressed that the Supreme Court’s decision earlier this year declaring the Shinde faction’s Whip to be illegal at the time of the split in June 2022 was “different” as it had pertained to the Legislative Assembly. “The situation in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha is different. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed me as the Shiv Sena’s group leader in the Lower House and (Shinde faction MP) Bhawana Gavli as the Whip. So, any instructions issued by us will have validity,” he said.
During Mr. Shinde’s revolt in June last year, his faction had the support of 40 of the 55 Sena MLAs, and 12 of the 18 Sena MPs. In November last year, veteran Sena leader and Mumbai North West MP Gajanan Kirtikar had also defected to Mr. Shinde’s camp, leaving just five MPs in the Thackeray camp.
