Maharashtra MLA Disqualification Case: Supreme Court Extends Time, Asks Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar To Decide Plea for Disqualification of MLAs by January 10

New Delhi, December 15: The Supreme Court on Friday granted 10 more days to Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul to decide the cross-petitions filed by the rival factions of the Shiv Sena seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs. The top court, which extended time till January 10, next year, had earlier asked the speaker to decide the disqualification pleas by December 31. Maharashtra MLA Disqualification Case: Eknath Shinde To Remain Chief Minister Even if Disqualified, Says Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis

"The speaker has indicated that the proceedings will be closed on December 20 and the speaker had sought a reasonable extension of time. Bearing in mind the time limit laid out earlier, we grant extension of time till January 10, 2023 for the speaker to deliver judgment," a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said. Maharashtra MLA Disqualification Case: Supreme Court Directs Speaker Rahul Narwekar To Decide Defection Pleas in Shiv Sena Split by December 31, NCP Split by January 31

The top court was hearing two petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar bloc of the NCP, seeking a direction to the speaker to expeditiously decide disqualification proceedings against some MLAs. The bench had on September 18 directed the speaker to spell out the time table for adjudication of the disqualification petitions against Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs owing allegiance to him who had tied up with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.