The Supreme Court agreed to consider urgently hearing a challenge by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s approval of six of its nine Members of Parliament being treated as having merged with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The dispute matters for parliamentary stability, party identity, and the application of the anti-defection framework.

What the dispute is about

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray) told the Supreme Court that its work in Parliament had been paralysed after the Speaker’s approval. The party argued that merger claims are being used across the country as a cover for horse-trading.

The party also argued that any valid merger must occur at the level of the original political party, not merely the legislative party. That distinction is central in disputes involving defections, mergers, and factional control inside legislatures.

Background and earlier position

The anti-defection framework in India is governed by the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution. It is designed to deter political defections and to provide stability to elected legislatures.

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