🔥 Trending Supreme Court to Hear Plea Against Speaker Om Birla's Approval of Shiv Sena MP M

The Supreme Court of India is currently in the process of reviewing the decision by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to recognize the merger of six Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) (UBT) faction with the rival Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ¹²³.

Background of the Dispute

The Shiv Sena, a prominent political party in Maharashtra, experienced a significant split, leading to two main factions: one led by Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT) and the other by Eknath Shinde. This political rift has resulted in various legal challenges, including disputes over party symbols and the disqualification of MLAs ¹⁰.

On July 18, 2026, just before the Monsoon Session of Parliament began, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led faction ⁷. This decision effectively recognized the six MPs as part of the Shinde camp.

Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Challenge in Supreme Court

The Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, represented by Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, challenged Speaker Birla's decision in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 ¹²³. The plea argues that a merger of a legislative party cannot occur unless the original political party itself has formally merged ⁹. This legal argument questions the Speaker's authority to approve such a merger at the legislative level without the underlying political party merging first.

Supreme Court's Current Position

As of July 21, 2026, the Supreme Court has not yet delivered a definitive ruling on the matter. The court's current stance is that it will review the plea filed by Shiv Sena (UBT) challenging the Speaker's approval ⁸. The case has been mentioned before the Chief Justice of India ⁷.

This development is significant as the outcome could set a precedent for similar political disputes regarding party splits and mergers in legislative bodies ¹⁰. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has also issued legal notices to the six rebel MPs involved in the merger ⁹.