Shiv Sena issues notice to rival Sena MPs for abstaining from voting during the passing of Women’s Reservation Bill

In yet another standoff between two factions of Shiv Sena, the Eknath Shinde-led party has shot off notices to four MPs owing allegiance to the Uddhav Thackeray-led group for abstaining from voting during the passing of Women’s Reservation Bill. 

The four MPs are Vinayak Raut (Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg), Rajan Vichare (Thane), Omraje Nimbalkar (Osmanabad) and Sanjay Jadhav (Parbhani).

It may be mentioned, Shinde, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, who is the chief leader of Shiv Sena, has asked the MPs of the party to support the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Shiv Sena Lok Sabha group leader Rahul Shewale said that the four MPs were absent during the voting on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides reservation to the women in the Lok Sabha.

Shewale said that he would formally convey to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on the party MPs abstaining from voting to Shewale pointed out that NCP President Sharad Pawar had also claimed that all MPs in the Congress-led alliance supported the Women's Reservation Bill. “However, the reality is different. Many MPs from their alliance were absent during the voting of this bill,” he said.

Shewale said Shiv Sena MP Bhavna Gawli, who is Lok Sabha's Whip of the party, had issued a  whip and it is binding on all Shiv Sena MPs. “She had issued a whip on behalf of the party to all MPs to attend the special session held from September 18-22. But the four MPs violated the whip," he said.

Shewale added that late  Balasaheb Thackeray had always taken the stand in support of women's reservation. 

"But these four MPs who supposedly share the legacy of his views were not present in the House during the vote on the Women's Reservation Bill,. This is a shameful and unfortunate incident. Nimbalkar did not attend the session despite being in Delhi. People will show their real place to these MPs who insulted women,” he said. 

Reacting to the development, Thackeray aide and Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said: “Those who are talking about whip would not be there in the next Lok Sabha.”