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Synopsis

The Supreme Court today granted an extension of 15 days to the Maharashtra Speaker for deciding the disqualification petitions filed by Sharad Pawar led Nationalist Congress Party faction.

"The speaker has indicated that cross examination of witnesses has not concluded and the matter will now end on January 31, 2024. We grant time till February 15, 2024 to finish dictation of orders", noted a CJI DY Chandrachud led bench in its order.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Speaker, told the court today that as the Shiv Sena hearing was going on, the Speaker was concentrating on it. SG Mehta went on to ask for three weeks for dictating orders.

"Three weeks are not required for dictating orders, similar requests were made earlier also, one week may be given..", said Senior Advocate AM Singhvi in response.

The bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra went on to agree with the SG's submissions and grant extra two weeks time.

Earlier, the Speaker had been granted time till January 31, 2024 to decide the petitions.

The Sharad Pawar led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party had knocked on the Supreme Court's door, asking it to direct the Maharashtra Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions filed by it against the Ajit Pawar led faction.

Supreme Court had thus asked the Speaker to hear the disqualification petitions pending before him on a day-to-day basis and decide them before the upcoming elections.

In July, the Supreme Court had also issued notice in the plea filed by Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena seeking a direction to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to decide the pending disqualification petitions against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other MLAs in a time bound manner, preferably within two weeks.

Case Title: Jayant Patil vs. Speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly