There was a fierce debate between Uddhav and Eknath Shinde faction in the Supreme Court

Salve- We are one party here. We never said there is a new political party. We are not saying that there are 2 Shiv Senas. We are saying that there are two factions in the same Shiv Sena. A leader has lost the confidence of party members. We have only raised our voice against the leadership. We just said you can’t be a leader. Not two Shiv Sena but two different factions with two different leaders. There have been changes within the party. There is a factual dispute on various issues. The basic premise of the anti-defection law is that when you leave your party. No one found that there is a disqualification. The Thackeray faction claims disqualification notices etc., but no one has been disqualified so far. Not attending any meeting held outside the House is not a ground for defection.

The CJI asked – So you mean that once you are elected, there is no point in a political party?
Salve – Discontent within the party is not the basis for defection. We confuse political parties with leaders. such party and leader
CJI- Can you say that CM refused to meet us so we formed a new political party?
Salve- We never said that there is a new political party. We are not saying that there are two Shiv Senas. We are saying that there are two factions in the same Shiv Sena.
Salve- We are one party here. We never said there is a new political party. We are not saying that there are two Shiv Senas. We are saying that there are two factions in the same Shiv Sena. A leader has lost the confidence of party members.

We have only raised our voice against the leadership. We just said you can’t be a leader. Not two Shiv Sena, but two different factions with two different leaders. Salve said that there cannot be two real parties. There can be only one leadership in the party, that is us.

Salve- The disqualification has nothing to do with the action being taken in the Election Commission. That hearing is different and this hearing is different.

What is your purpose of visiting CJI-EC?

Salve- BMC elections are about to come, so he has gone so that it can be decided which is the real party.

CJI: Who came to court first?

Salve-We had come because the Speaker was not in the House for many years. The Deputy Speaker could not take a decision immediately. The court stayed the disqualification proceedings. Have I given up my membership of a political party? No, just because I did not attend any party meeting outside, it does not mean that I am no longer a member of the party.

Salve – Our case on disqualification was different. A motion was moved against the Deputy Speaker.

Salve- He wants the Speaker to be stripped of all powers and wants to make the Supreme Court a defection tribunal. This is unprecedented. This is not where the test should be.

CJI told Salve- The way your arguments are progressing, you are saying that you filed a petition in the Supreme Court, then the Supreme Court stayed the disqualification.

Salve- No, it is not so.

CJI – We cannot say that everything has become ineffective now, a clear decision has to be taken on these issues.

NK Kaul started the debate for Shinde faction.

CJI asked – You came here first, we had said in the Karnataka case that this matter should go to the High Court

NK Kaul starts debate for Shinde faction

CJI- In the verdict, we had said that let the speaker decide first, after that the court can review

CJI asked Shinde faction – you came to court first and got time, but now you say that Thackeray faction cannot come to court, whatever they are saying has become ineffective now.

Salve- We are not saying this.

The CJI said that suppose the Speaker takes disqualification action on a complaint against the MLAs, then any MLA will issue a no-confidence notice against the Speaker in response. This issue has to be fixed. First you come to the court and now you are telling the case ineffective.
Salve – We are not saying this.

Salve – We have not left the party. Somebody or the other has to decide our case. Let the speaker decide it.

Neeraj Kishan Kaul – Uddhav faction has filed an application in the court not to take action in the EC case, which is not right. The EC has to decide who will have the party’s symbol.
Kaul- EC should be allowed to continue the hearing in this matter. Both the cases are different.

Mahesh Jethmalani from Shinde faction said – New government has been formed. Uddhav Thackeray has resigned. Now only the matter of disqualification remains but the question arises who will decide this?

The Supreme Court will continue the hearing in the Maharashtra case on Thursday. Salve will give his arguments on behalf of the Shinde faction.