India News | SC Extends Time Till Feb 15 to Decide Disqualification Pleas Against NCP MLAs of Ajit Pawar Faction

New Delhi, Jan 29 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Monday extended time till February 15 for Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide pleas of the Sharad Pawar faction seeking disqualification of NCP MLAs affiliated to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's group.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the office of the speaker, that some more time will be needed to pass orders on the disqualification pleas.

Also Read | Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar’s Ancestral House in Rohtak’s Banyani to Be Turned into E-Library (Watch Video).

Earlier, the top court had granted time till January 31 to the speaker to decide the disqualification pleas pertaining to the NCP MLAs who had switched sides to be part of the Eknath Shinde-led state government.

"In his (speaker's) order dated January 25, the speaker has indicated that cross-examination of the witnesses for respondents (NCP factions) could not be concluded and with consent of the parties following time schedule is prescribed and that matter will end on January 31 for orders.

Also Read | Assam: Man Poses As CID Officer, Abducts Minor Girl in Guwahati; Arrested.

"We grant time till February 15, 2024 to finish dictation of the orders (by the speaker)," the bench said in its order.

A plea was filed by Jayant Patil of the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party for a direction to the speaker to expeditiously decide the disqualification petitions against Ajit Pawar and MLAs loyal to him.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)