SC declines stay on 6 MPs’ ‘merger’ with Shinde camp
Supreme Court refuses stay on six MPs’ merger recognition in the Shiv Sena dispute
- The Supreme Court declined immediate interim relief in the challenge to the Speaker’s recognition of the merger.
- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recognised the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde faction.
- Arvind Sawant has challenged the July 18 circular and has argued that the recognition of the merger is unconstitutional, illegal, and perverse.
The Supreme Court refused to grant an immediate interim stay on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s recognition of the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the faction led by Eknath Shinde. The dispute matters because recognition of a parliamentary merger can affect party strength, legislative alignment, and the working of the anti-defection framework.
The Court said it will hear the challenge after two weeks and sought a response from the Speaker. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant has challenged the July 18 circular recognising the merger and has called it unconstitutional, illegal, and perverse.
Background and earlier position
UPSC can ask how the Speaker’s powers, party merger claims, and judicial review interact in a split or defection dispute. The issue also connects to the limits of legislative autonomy and the continuing debate over neutrality of the Speaker in adjudicating such matters.
