Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has formally approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena, settling a question over these lawmakers' party status just days before Parliament's Monsoon Session begins.
The Speaker's order
Birla's office is learnt to have gone into the technical aspects of the switch before signing off on it, since a merger of MPs from one party into another carries legal weight under the rules that govern floor strength and anti-defection cases in the House. With the order now in place, the six MPs who had earlier moved to the Shinde camp stand recognised as members of Shiv Sena rather than Shiv Sena (UBT). Separately, a set of rebel Trinamool Congress MPs will not be merged into any other party and will instead be seated separately in the Lok Sabha.
Months of back and forth
The matter had been pending for weeks. On June 24, Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs met the Speaker and pressed him to share a copy of the letter that the leaders who joined the Shinde faction had submitted to formalise their move. By July 14, the Speaker had still not issued any order recognising the merger, prompting Shiv Sena (UBT) to send a notice to the MPs who had defected. The order finally came through on July 18, clearing the six MPs' merger with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Opposition walks out ahead of the session
On July 19, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Trinamool Congress walked out of the all-party meeting called ahead of the Monsoon Session, objecting to the government's invitation extended to 20 rebel MPs for the meeting. Both parties argued that inviting the rebel lawmakers violated democratic norms. Ahead of the meeting, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was ready to hear the opposition out and expected the same courtesy in return.
Why it matters
A Speaker-approved merger shields the merged MPs from disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law and settles, at least on paper, which Shiv Sena faction, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena or Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), they belong to in the Lok Sabha. Coming right before the Monsoon Session, the decision adds another flashpoint to an already tense run-up between the treasury benches and the opposition.
