"They have lost ground", CM Eknath Shinde counters "match fixing" allegations ahead of the verdict on Shiv Sena MLA disqualification case

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 10 : Countering the serious allegations of "match fixing" raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) faction leader Sanjay Raut ahead of the verdict in the Shiv Sena MLA disqualification case, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that the decision to be announced later in the day by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar will have to be made on merit.
Speaking with reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday, ahead of the verdict, CM Shinde said the Election Commission of India had allotted his faction the Shiv Sena name and symbol.
"We are official Shiv Sena and we have the majority in the state Assembly... but some are making allegations of match fixing, but they also had a meal with the speaker but we didn't make any such allegations; the speaker is an MLA too and the meeting was official and it's in open light...," CM Shinde said, responding to Sanjay Raut's allegation of "match fixing."
Earlier, Uddhav faction-led Shiv Sena raised objections to Speaker Narwekar meeting Shinde, ahead of the verdict at his residence on January 7
"Whether it's High Court or Supreme Court, they keep making comments on it... the decision will have to be on merit, as we (the government) are formed on merit," CM Shinde added.
Referring to the 2023 Supreme Court verdict refusing to disqualify the Maharashtra government, CM Shinde said, "They (UBT Shiv Sena) have lost ground as the government is functioning properly and working for the people..."
On December 15, 2023, the Supreme Court extended till January 10 the time for the Speaker to pronounce a verdict on disqualification petitions against MLAs including Shinde.
The disqualification pleas have been pending since the Maharashtra political crises started. The plea sought direction for the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions within a time-bound manner.
On May 11, a five-judge Constitution bench had held that it could not disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minster because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the Assembly.
On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30. It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governor's direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30.
In August 2022, the top court's three-judge bench referred to a five-judge Constitution bench for the issues involved in the petition filed by rival groups of Shiv Sena about the Maharashtra political crisis.
After the apex court's order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.