SC extends time till Feb15 to Maha speaker over disqualification pleas

The Supreme Court on Monday extended time till February 15 for Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide pleas of the Sharad Pawar faction seeking disqualification of NCP MLAs affiliated to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's group.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the office of the speaker, that some more time will be needed to pass orders on the disqualification pleas.

Earlier, the top court had granted time till January 31 to the speaker to decide the disqualification pleas pertaining to the NCP MLAs who had switched sides to be part of the Eknath Shinde-led state government.

"In his (speaker's) order dated January 25, the speaker has indicated that cross-examination of the witnesses for respondents (NCP factions) could not be concluded and with consent of the parties following time schedule is prescribed and that matter will end on January 31 for orders.

"We grant time till February 15, 2024 to finish dictation of the orders (by the speaker)," the bench said in its order.

A plea was filed by Jayant Patil of the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party for a direction to the speaker to expeditiously decide the disqualification petitions against Ajit Pawar and MLAs loyal to him.