New Delhi/Mumbai: Amid intense political speculation over a possible realignment within the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) parliamentary unit, Lok Sabha party leader Arvind Sawant has written a detailed four-page letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him not to recognise any breakaway faction or separate parliamentary group claiming to represent the party.
The letter, dated June 16, assumes significance as it comes even before any formal move has been made before the Speaker’s office, indicating that the UBT leadership believes attempts may be underway to engineer a split within its Lok Sabha ranks.
In his communication, Sawant argued that the Shiv Sena (UBT) remains a single political party in the eyes of law and that no faction of MPs can claim separate recognition merely on the basis of numbers. He cited the Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court in the Shiv Sena dispute and referred extensively to the provisions of the Tenth Schedule dealing with defection and merger.
Sawant specifically requested the Speaker to ensure that no separate recognition, status, privilege or facility is granted to any purported faction claiming to represent the party. He further sought an assurance that no decision on any such request be taken without first hearing the official Shiv Sena (UBT) leadership.
The UBT leader’s intervention comes against the backdrop of renewed political chatter in Delhi and Maharashtra over the future of the party’s parliamentary wing. While speculation about possible defections has intensified in recent days, no MP has publicly announced a decision to leave the party. Several leaders have either denied such reports or refrained from commenting on them.
In his letter, Sawant argued that the constitutional recognition previously accorded to a “split” no longer exists following the 91st Constitutional Amendment and that the Constitution recognises only a merger under specific conditions prescribed under Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule. He maintained that the numerical strength of legislators alone cannot justify the creation of a separate political formation within Parliament.
The letter also reiterates the Supreme Court’s observation that the political party enjoys primacy over the legislature party and that authority relating to leadership, whips and legislative conduct flows from the political party rather than from an independent group of legislators.
Political observers view the move as a pre-emptive constitutional and legal safeguard by the UBT leadership. Unlike the dramatic events of 2022, when the rebellion led by Eknath Shinde unfolded in public view, the current strategy appears aimed at placing the party’s position on record before any formal parliamentary exercise can be initiated.
The development has triggered fresh interest in Delhi’s political circles, where speculation over possible shifts in allegiance has gathered momentum ahead of crucial political developments in Maharashtra.
What makes the episode particularly noteworthy is that Arvind Sawant felt compelled to submit a detailed constitutional brief to the Speaker before any formal claim of separation had been made. The move suggests that the UBT leadership considers the possibility of a parliamentary split serious enough to warrant intervention at the highest level of the Lok Sabha’s institutional framework.
Meanwhile, the Speaker’s office has not issued any official response to Sawant’s representation so far.
