“What Happened in Maharashtra Was Wrong”: Arvind Sawant Slams TMC Merger Move with NCPI
In a sharp critique of the developing political crisis in West Bengal, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant strongly condemned the decision of 20 rebel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs to break away and merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). Speaking in New Delhi, Sawant drew a direct parallel to the deep political fissures that fractured his own party in Maharashtra, warning the defecting lawmakers that they are walking into a major constitutional mistake.
Sawant’s remarks come at a highly sensitive time, as his own party, Shiv Sena (UBT), battles concurrent rumors of a legislative split, prompting senior leaders to petition Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against recognizing any illegal breakaway factions.
Key Highlights from Arvind Sawant’s Statement
The South Mumbai MP focused heavily on what he termed a systemic delay in resolving anti-defection disputes, arguing that the lack of prompt judicial verdicts encourages illegal political maneuvers:
- The Warning to Rebels: Sawant explicitly called out the 20 TMC dissidents, noting that their approach mirrors past destabilizations. “What happened in Maharashtra was wrong and so will be this. They will make a mistake,” he cautioned.
- Frustration Over Judicial Delays: Pointing to the unresolved legal battles surrounding the split of the original Shiv Sena in 2022, Sawant leveled a sharp critique against the legal system’s pace. He highlighted the ongoing frustration of his faction, stating:
“It has been 4 years since we submitted a petition in the Supreme Court, and no verdict has been delivered to date…”
- Defending the Tenth Schedule: Sawant emphasized that under the Anti-Defection Law, legislative groups cannot simply declare a split or independently validate a merger without the explicit sanction and structural approval of the original parent political party.
Parallel Crises: West Bengal and Maharashtra
Sawant’s heavy criticism highlights a shared legal vulnerability felt by opposition regional parties facing massive internal rebellions:
| Feature | The West Bengal TMC Crisis | The Maharashtra Shiv Sena Precedent |
| The Rebel Strategy | 20 out of 28 Lok Sabha MPs have defected, attempting to cross the two-thirds barrier by merging with a lesser-known, Tripura-registered party (NCPI). | The breakaway faction led by Eknath Shinde claimed the original party name and symbol by demonstrating a clear majority in the legislature. |
| The Legal Battleground | TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee is aggressively fighting the defection before the Speaker, relying on Supreme Court precedents regarding the invalidity of unilateral legislative splits. | The case regarding the disqualification of rebel MLAs and the allocation of the party name/symbol has seen years of prolonged review in the Supreme Court. |
| Current Status | Speaker Om Birla is currently verifying signatures and has summoned both factions for an official review. | The Eknath Shinde-led faction operates as the recognized Shiv Sena, while Uddhav Thackeray’s loyalists continue their protracted legal challenge. |
Having personally witnessed the long-term impact of structural political defections, Sawant reiterated that allowing legislative majorities to bypass organizational party structures undermines the foundation of parliamentary democracy.
