Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena moves SC against EC's decision

NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray has approached the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s order of allotting Shiv Sena’s name and symbol to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. 

Senior Advocate AM Singhvi although on Monday attempted to make an unscheduled mention before a bench of CJI DY Chandrachud. Refusing to grant urgent mentioning, CJI DY Chandrachud asked him to mention the same on Tuesday. 

“Sorry, Mr. Singhvi.You have to come under the mentioned list. Come tomorrow. The rule is applicable to all," the CJI said. 

The ECI on Friday while allowing the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena party to use the party’s name and symbol “bow & arrow” had relied on the test of majority in the legislative assembly. The apex poll body had noted that the outcome of the majority in the legislative wing reflected clearly qualitative superiority in Shinde’s favour. 

The ECI while highlighting the importance of “internal party democracy” had said, “The requirement for a written constitution of political parties and an undertaking to the effect that such Constitution adheres to the norms of democracy prescribed in the Constitution of India is meant to promote inner-party democracy. The need for such democratic organisational structure of political parties often realise not in the heydays but when an internal dispute arises."

Shinde faction on Saturday had filed a caveat in top court wherein they had urged SC to not pass any “ex parte orders” without hearing it. 

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Dissolve Election Commission: Uddhav Thackeray

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Monday demanded that the Election Commission of India, which ruled that the Eknath Shinde-led faction is the real Shiv Sena, should be dissolved.

"The name (Shiv Sena) and symbol (bow and arrow) of our party have been stolen, but the name 'Thackeray' cannot be stolen," he told reporters at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar here.

Thackeray said that during the Assembly bypoll in Andheri, his party candidate had used the name given by the Election Commission.

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Asked about the Shinde faction taking over various properties of Shiv Sena, he said, "I dare them to stop using the name of my father (late Balasaheb Thackeray) and his photo. Let him put a photo of his father and then seek votes. Thackeray said the Commission has already recognised his camp with a separate name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and also given it a flaming torch as a symbol. This means the EC had recognised our separate existence already," he said.

EC gave Shiv Sena name to Shinde faction like 'property deal': Saamana 

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) described the Election Commission's decision to allot the 'Shiv Sena' and the 'bow and arrow' symbol to the camp led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde camp as a "property deal".

It is no longer a secret that the name Shiv Sena and its poll symbol have been "purchased" like shopping for peanuts from an outlet, said an editorial in 'Saamana', the mouthpiece of the Sena (UBT).

WEB SCRAWL | Shiv Sena in Shinde's pocket, Uddhav left empty-handed

(With inputs from Shruti Kakkar)