Maharashtra Speaker Narwekar sets deadline for verdict on NCP split disqualification plea

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar announced on Monday that the hearing on the disqualification plea related to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) split has concluded, and the order will be delivered by January 31. The NCP experienced a split in July last year when Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government against the wishes of party founder Sharad Pawar.
The faction led by Sharad Pawar subsequently filed a plea seeking the disqualification of Ajit Pawar and the eight MLAs. In response to queries on the matter, Narwekar stated, “The hearing is over, and the order will be delivered by January 31. As requested, the Supreme Court has granted an extension for the verdict until February 15. I can assure that it will be out by then.”
On Monday, the Supreme Court extended the deadline for Narwekar to decide on the disqualification plea filed by the Sharad Pawar faction until February 15. The court had initially directed the speaker on October 30 last year to decide the petition filed by Jayant Patil of the Sharad Pawar faction by January 31.
During a brief hearing on Monday, the bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, acknowledged the request made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the speaker. Mehta informed the court that the cross-examination of the respondents would be completed by January 31 and requested an additional three weeks to pass the order on the disqualification plea.A