SC grants extension until Feb 15 Sharad Pawar group’s disqualification plea against Ajit Pawar, others

The Supreme Court has granted an extension until February 15 for Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to deliver a final decision on the disqualification plea filed by the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) against rebel MLAs led by Ajit Pawar. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra agreed to this extension, acknowledging the Speaker’s request for additional time. The previous deadline of January 31, 2024, set by the apex court on October 30, 2023, prompted the Speaker to seek an extra three weeks, citing his engagement with disqualification petitions related to the Shiv Sena case. Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta emphasized that the proceedings were nearly concluded, and the Speaker required three more weeks to issue the order. In July 2023, the Sharad Pawar-led group had filed disqualification petitions against eight MLAs for anti-party activities, following Ajit Pawar’s departure and alliance with the Maharashtra government. Sharad Pawar loyalist Jayant Patil moved the Supreme Court, urging a time-bound resolution of the disqualification petitions, drawing parallels with the Shiv Sena case. The apex court directed the Speaker to expedite the adjudication process.