SC dismisses plea against Shiv Sena, NCP, Cong alliance, says can't curtail right of a party

The Supreme Court Friday dismissed a plea challenging the post-poll alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress to form government in Maharashtra saying in democracy it cannot curtail the rights of a political party to align with other parties.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna observed, referring to earlier verdicts, that constitutional morality is different from political morality.

"In democracy, we can't curtail the rights of political parties to align with other parties," the bench said.

At the outset, the bench asked advocate Barun Kumar Sinha, appearing for one Pramod Pandit Joshi of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, why would court interfere in pre-poll and post-poll alliances and how this issue was amenable to judicial review?