Shiv Sena (UBT) Challenges MP Merger in Supreme Court

The Shiv Sena (UBT) filed a plea with the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday to challenge a July 18 decision by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The Speaker's ruling approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) members of parliament into the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing the party, argued that the merger was illegal because it did not meet the requirement of support from two-thirds of the party's organizational structure. The merger significantly alters the balance of power in the Lok Sabha, reducing the Shiv Sena (UBT) to three MPs while increasing the Shinde faction's strength to 13.

Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, heard the request to list the matter for a hearing on Wednesday. Chief Justice Surya Kant responded to the request by stating, "We will see."