We will approach Supreme Court if no action is taken on petition to disqualify Neelam Gorhe, two MLCs: Anil Parab

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab has said his party will approach the Supreme Court if no action is taken on their disqualification plea against three MLCs who switched over to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab has said his party will approach the Supreme Court if no action is taken on their disqualification plea against three MLCs who switched over to the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Mr. Parab said the party on July 21 moved a petition to disqualify members of legislative council (MLCs) Neelam Gorhe, the deputy chairperson of the Upper House, and Manisha Kayande and Biplav Bajoria.

“There is no action on the petition. We have given reminders for the same,” he said on September 22. The petition was submitted to the office of the Legislative Council, which doesn’t have a chairman as of now.

“If there is no action, then we will approach the Supreme Court the way we did in the case of the Lower House (Assembly),” he said, referring to the party approaching the apex court to disqualify 16 MLAs from the Shinde-led Sena.

He said the three MLCs would be disqualified in a manner similar to the “fate of the 39 MLAs (from the Shinde Sena)”. “We have made all preparations to approach the Supreme Court,” Mr. Parab said.

At present there is no chairman in the council. While Ms. Gorhe can hear the petitions of Mr. Kayande and Mr. Bajoria, the contention of the Sena (UBT) is that she cannot hear a petition against herself in the absence of a chairman. In July, Mr. Parab and other Sena MLCs had demanded Ms. Gorhe’s disqualification.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had then defended Ms. Gorhe, saying she had not changed any party as she was elected as the member of the house on a Shiv Sena ticket and the bow-and-arrow symbol and both were with the Shinde-led Sena.