Floor test can't be used to resolve inter or intra-party disputes, says SC on Uddhav Thackeray vs Eknath Shinde case

A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and also comprising Justices Krishna Murari, MR Shah, Hima Kohli and P S Narsimhan has begun pronouncing the judgment on a batch of cross-petitions filed by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions. The Supreme Court judgement that will decide the fate of Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra.SC holds the Governor had no objective materials to call for a floor-test. Floor test can't be used as a medium to resolve inter or intra-party disputes. It also said that, Supreme Court holds that the Speaker's decision to appoint Mr.Gogawale (backed by Shinde group) as the whip of the Shiv Sena party was illegal

For the unversed, Uddhav Thackeray had pleaded before the Supreme Court to step in after Shinde, backed by the opposition BJP, engineered a split into Shiv Sena and later formed a new government in Maharashtra with the support of majority MLAs. If Eknath Shinde is disqualified, he will have to resign as Maharashtra Chief Minister and his government will be disbanded. The bench then said that some of the issues involved in the Maharashtra political crisis may require a larger Constitution bench for consideration. There are various petitions pending before the apex court filed by both factions of Shiv Sena. On June 29, 2022, the top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on June 30.It had refused to stay the Maharashtra Governor’s direction to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove his majority support on the floor of the House on June 30. After the apex court’s order, Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation as the Chief Minister and Eknath Shinde was later sworn in as the Chief Minister.