Sena Vs Sena: SC To Hear Uddhav's Plea Challenging EC Order Alloting Party Name To Shinde Camp

Sena Vs Sena: Earlier this year, the Election Commission allotted the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the faction led by Eknath Shinde.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray

Source : PTI/Getty

The Supreme Court will hear on July 31 Uddhav Thackeray's plea challenging an order of the Election Commission allotting the Shiv Sena name and "bow and arrow" symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Advocate Amit Anand Tiwari sought urgent listing of the plea following which a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha listed the matter for hearing on July 31. The apex court had sought response of the Shinde faction on February 22.

"Earlier, it wasn't new to break the parties. Now, parties are being stolen. Election Commission has no right to give our party's name to someone else," ANI quoted Uddhav Thackeray as saying.

Earlier this year, the Election Commission allotted the name "Shiv Sena" and its poll symbol "bow and arrow" to the faction led by Eknath Shinde.

READ | Uddhav Sena Moves SC, Seeks Directions To Maharashtra Speaker To Decide On MLAs' Disqualification Petitions

Thackeray, in his application before the Supreme Court, said the matter required urgent hearing as the EC order was completely illegal in view of the May 11 Constitution bench judgment of the top court.

"Further, elections are imminent, and respondent No 1 (Shinde) is illegally using the party name and symbol", the application said, PTI reported.

On May 11, the Supreme Court, in a big relief for the Shinde-BJP government, ruled that Uddhav Thackeray could not be restored as Chief Minister as he resigned before the floor test.

"Status quo ante cannot be restored as Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation. Hence, the Governor was justified in administering oath to Shinde with the support of the largest party BJP," the court said.

However, the top court said the Governor "erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Thackeray had lost support of the majority of MLAs".

Thackeray has also filed a separate petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to expeditiously decide on the disqualification pleas pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. The disqualification pleas are pending since over a year.