Eknath Shinde faction is the real Shiv Sena in Assembly and its MLAs cannot be held disqualified, ruled the Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar while deciding the disqualification petitions against the Chief Minister and several MLAs whose rebellion had split the Shiv Sena last year.
The Speaker further added that Eknath Shinde was validly appointed as leader of the Shiv Sena.
Uddhav Thackeray had no power to remove Eknath Shinde, said the Speaker, adding that Shiv Sena president doesn't hold the decision making powers but the Rashtriya Karyakarini.
The 1999 constitution of Shiv Sena, relied upon by Eknath Shinde, has been accepted, the Speaker added further.
In June 2022, Eknath Shinde and several MLAs rebelled against then-chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, leading to a split in the Sena and the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which also comprised the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.
