SC starts hearing Uddhav's plea challenging Shiv Sena disqualification proceedings

"Speaker recognising a whip other than the official whip nominated by the party is malafide," Kapil Sibal told the bench on Wednesday.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Wednesday commenced hearing on the plea of Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena challenging disqualification proceedings initiated against them under the constitutional scheme. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Uddhav faction, told a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana that Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari should not have sworn-in the new government when the apex court was seized of the matter.

"Speaker recognising a whip other than the official whip nominated by the party is malafide," Sibal told the bench also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli. The CJI-led bench on July 11 had granted interim relief to the Uddhav Thackeray faction MLAs by asking Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar not to proceed with the plea seeking their disqualification as sought by the Shinde group on the grounds of defying the party whip during the trust vote and the election of the speaker. (PTI)