Thackeray to move SC after losing Shiv Sena name, symbol
Uddhav Thackeray is set to approach the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to seek a stay on an order by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, ruling the faction headed by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde as the "real Shiv Sena." According to reports, the Thackeray faction of the Sena party will also be challenging the "factual" mistakes in the poll body's order.
Why does this story matter?
The move from Thackeray comes just a couple of days after the Election Commission allotted the name and "bow and arrow" of the Shiv Sena to the faction led by Eknath Shinde. The two Sena factions emerged in June last year when Shinde staged a coup to oust Thackeray's government. As a result, the party was divided between the Thackeray and Shinde supporters.
Thackeray faction hits out at EC's order
The Thackeray faction said the ECI stated in its order that amendments to the Sena's constitution in 2018 under Thackeray were undemocratic. It claimed this was incorrect. It also argued the order was inconsistent and accused the election body of deliberately setting the constitution aside as Shinde's group was weaker on the organizational side and decided on the basis of majority, reported India Today.
Teach lesson to 'thief' who stole party's symbol: Thackeray
The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) is also set to raise the issue that ECI's decision was solely made based on votes received by elected candidates (MLAs and MPs). It said those who were defeated in polls also got votes in the party's name, which weren't considered. On Saturday, Thackeray told his supporters to teach the "thief" a lesson who stole the Sena symbol.
Raut claims Shiv Sena's symbol, name sold for Rs. 2,000cr
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed a Rs. 2,000 crore transaction took place to buy the Shiv Sena's symbol and name. He also alleged that a builder close to the ruling Shiv Sena faction shared these details with him. The MP further asserted that he even had proof to back his claim and would disclose it soon.
Here's what Raut said on 'Sena deal' allegations
"The government, the leader, and the group of unscrupulous people that puts a price of Rs. 50 crore to buy an MLA, bids Rs. 100 crore to buy a member of Parliament, bids Rs. 1 crore to buy our councilor and shakha pramukh, you can guess how much they can bid to buy the party symbol and party name," Raut told news agency ANI.
Shinde faction's reaction to Raut's claims
Reacting to Raut's claims, MLA Sada Sarvankar from the Shinde division of the Sena dismissed the allegations made by Rajya Sabha MP Raut against their faction. Sarvankar also asked, "Is Sanjay Raut a cashier?"
Election Commission's order that triggered row
The ECI on Friday declared that the Shinde-led Shiv Sena division was the real Shiv Sena as opposed to former Maharashtra CM Thackeray-led faction. To note, Shinde and 40 rebel MLAs quit the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, toppling it, in June 2022. This had major repercussions as the Shinde faction allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form the state government.
