Shiv Sena symbol wars: Supreme Court to hear Uddhav Thackeray’s plea against EC order tomorrow

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Supreme Court to hear Uddhav Thackeray's plea against the Election Commission of India (ECI) tomorrow
• Election Commission recognised the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena 
• The poll body allotted the Shinde-led faction the Shiv Sena party name and bow and arrow symbol

The Supreme Court (SC) has agreed to hear former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s plea against the Election Commission’s (EC) order which allotted the Shiv Sena party name and the dhanushya baan (bow and arrow) symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra’s incumbent Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. 

The Thackeray faction sought a stay on the EC order as an interim relief. It also accused the poll watchdog failed to discharge its responsibilities as a neutral arbiter. The Shiv Sena UBT faction also alleged that the election watchdog acted in a manner that undermines its constitutional status. 

Thackeray-led faction Shiv Sena (UBT) filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday. The top court will hear Thackeray’s petition on Wednesday at around 3:30 pm. When the matter came up on Tuesday, senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that if the EC order is not stayed, they will take over the symbol and bank accounts and more disqualifications will take place. 

Sibal further urged the top court to list the matter before the Constitution bench on Wednesday. To this, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud was quoted as saying by India Today, “We will hear it tomorrow at 3:30 pm. The reason we are not taking up in the morning is because we don’t want other colleagues to be held up.”

The Election Commission stated while announcing its decision, “It has been mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all. Such party structures fail to inspire confidence.”

The EC allowed the Thackeray faction to keep the flaming torch as their poll symbol till assembly bypolls are complete in the state. Two factions emerged in the party as it was divided between supporters of Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde. Shinde staged a coup against the Uddhav Thackeray government in June 2022. 

Also read: Shiv Sena name, symbol row: 'Mogambo khush hua,' Uddhav Thackeray taunts Amit Shah

Also read: Shiv Sena name row: 'Anarchy will start in country after 2024 Lok Sabha elections,' says Uddhav