"Rahul Narvekar has brought down dignity of post": NCP's Jitendra Awhad on Maharashtra MLAs disqualification plea

Mumbai (Maharashtra): As political observers watch the major developments in Maharashtra over the speaker's decision on the MLA's disqualification plea, Jitendra Awhad (NCP-Sharad Pawar faction) leader has said that the post of Assembly Speaker is the highest but Rahul Narvekar has brought down the dignity of the post.

"MLA disqualification hearing will be held today but the Speaker of the Assembly never understood before that whatever papers were scrutinized should also have been shown to the countrymen through live view. How does the Assembly Speaker himself go to the residence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even before the disqualification? The post of Assembly Speaker is the highest but Rahul Narvekar has brought down the dignity of the post," he said.

On December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court extended till January 10 the time for the Speaker to pronounce a verdict on disqualification petitions against MLAs including Shinde.

The disqualification pleas have been pending since the Maharashtra political crises started. The plea sought direction for the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions within a time-bound manner.

Further, clearing the air on seat sharing in the INDIA bloc, Jitendra Awhad said that talks were held in a happy environment regarding 40 seats.

"A meeting of India Alliance was held in Delhi and in this meeting, talks were held in a happy environment regarding 40 seats. The talks between our senior leaders and Prakash Ambedkar have reached the final stage. There is no point in speaking on whatever has been discussed today because in the end it will be seen who gets how many seats," he said.

"Till now no decision has been taken regarding seat sharing in the meeting of India Alliance that Shiv Sena Uddhav faction will get 18 seats and Congress will get 20 seats, all these are made-up things and whatever has come in today's paper is completely wrong," he added. (ANI)