Mumbai, Jan 16 (IANS): Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Monday moved the Bombay High Court challenging the verdict of Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar dismissing the disqualification plea against 14 MLAs of the Shiv Sena-UBT of ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray.

Shiv Sena Chief Whip Bharat Gogavale has contended that the SS-UBT faction members had violated his Whip in July 2023) and also voluntarily gave up their membership of the political party by their actions.

He has claimed that the January 10 order of the Speaker was "illegal, invalid and unconstitutional" compelling them to approach the high court.

Gogavale’s plea contended that the Speaker’s final order had erroneously concluded that the grounds by him (Gogavale) were "mere allegations and assertions" and that the conclusion was invalid as the Thackeray faction voted against the whip of Gogavale, who is now duly recognised as the Chief Whip by the Speaker’s ruling last week.

"This vote is a part of the record of the Assembly, and in no manner, can be said to be a mere allegation. The Speaker failed to even peruse the reply filed by Gogavale wherein the respondent has admitted to the allegations of the petition," said the plea.

On January 10, Speaker Narwekar had rejected the disqualification petitions filed by both the Shinde faction and the Thackeray group on the political events that took place in June-July 2023, when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Thackeray collapsed.

Moreover, Gogavale said that the Speaker did not consider that besides giving up the political party membership, the Thackeray group legislators also voted against the Shiv Sena government in tandem with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party in the July 4, 2023 vote of confidence in the new Shinde-led regime.

The petition, filed through lawyers Chirag Shah and Utsav Trivedi, has sought to set aside the Speaker’s verdict and disquality the MLAs of the Thackeray group, and will be heard on Jan. 22.

The development came simultaneously as Thackeray’s SS-UBT moved the Supreme Court challenging the Speaker’s decision, and will hold a town hall meeting on January 16 to explain the implications of the verdict.