Mumbai: Maharashtra legislative assembly secretariat has initiated the procedure of serving notices to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs after the disqualification petitions filed by both factions of the party.
"The notices are a natural process after the disqualification petitions are filed," Adv Rahul Narvekar, the Speaker of the Maharashtra legislative assembly told the media while he was on his way to Delhi.
Eight MLAs from the NCP Sharad Pawar faction were served the notices issued under Schedule 10 of the Constitution of India. The MLAs are Anil Deshmukh, Rajesh Tope, Rohit Pawar, Sunil Bhusara, Prajakt Tanpure, Balasaheb Patil, Sandeep Kshirsagar and Suman Patil. The notices have been received by the MLAs, said the party sources.
All the MLAs have been asked to submit their responses within a week, as is the normal procedure. An MLA from the Ajit Pawar faction of the party too confirmed that around 30 MLAs from the camp have received notices from the Assembly secretariat, while adding that four-week's time has been sought from the Speakers' office for filing responses.
After a split led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, disqualification petitions were filed against 40 of 53 MLAs and five MLCs by the Sharad Pawar faction. In retaliation, the Ajit Pawar faction too filed disqualification petitions against 10 MLAs from the opposite camp.
