Maharashtra Political Crisis: The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena has moved the Supreme Court seeking urgent listing of a pending petition challenging the order of the Election Commission of India allotting the party name and symbol to the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha said the matter is listed for hearing on July 31 after advocate Amit Anand Tiwari sought urgent listing of the plea.
“It is listed on July 31, we will hear it on that day”, the bench said and allowed Tiwari to file a rejoinder on the reply filed by the Shinde faction.
Speaking to the media earlier today, former Chief Minister Thackeray said Election Commission has no right to give his party’s name to someone else.
“It wasn’t my aspiration to be the Chief Minister. I want a CM from Shiv Sena in future too. I had promised Balasaheb Thackeray that there will be a CM from Shiv Sena. Earlier, it wasn’t common to break parties. Now, parties are being stolen. Election Commission has no right to give our party’s name to someone else,” he said.
He also indicated towards trouble in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and said, “We have sought a proposal for seat sharing from Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi. We will think about it once their proposal comes in.”
Uddhav Thackeray’s ‘Letter of Urgency’ Before SC
In its latest plea in the Apex Court, Thackeray had said the matter requires an urgent hearing as the impugned order is ‘completely illegal’ in view of the recent Constitution bench judgment of the top court pronounced on May 11.
“Further, elections are imminent, and respondent No. 1 (Shinde) is illegally using the party name and symbol”, the application seeking urgent listing of the matter said.
It pointed out that on February 22, while issuing notice in the matter, the top court had directed it to be listed after three weeks. However, it did not get listed.
On February 17, the Election Commission allotted the name “Shiv Sena” and its poll symbol “bow and arrow” to the group led by now Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Shiv Sena’s two factions have been at loggerheads since Shinde broke away with a majority of party MLAs and formed government in Maharashtra with support from BJP, dislodging Uddhav Thackeray from the top post.
Earlier, former CM Thackeray had called the EC decision a “theft” and “murder of democracy,” and approached the top court seeking a stay on the order.
(With PTI Inputs)
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