Worried about losing control of party funds, the Uddhav Thackeray faction on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to stay the Election Commission’s order to recognise the Eknath Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena.On behalf of the Uddhav Thackeray faction, senior counsel Kapil Sibal mentioned it before a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud for urgent listing.
“If it’s not stayed, they (Eknath Shinde faction) will take over everything…bank accounts etc.,” Sibal told the Bench, which also included Justice PS Narasimha.He requested the Bench to take it up on Wednesday morning along with the hearing before the Constitution Bench which is dealing with issues arising out of the recent political crisis in Maharashtra.
“We won’t disrupt the CB (Constitution Bench) because there are three judges waiting for us. We will finish the CB and get up a little early and then take it up tomorrow,” the CJI said.It turned down Sibal’s request to take it up today itself, saying “We haven’t read it yet.””We will take it up tomorrow at 3.30pm,” the CJI said.
The fight for the Shiv Sena poll symbol reached the Supreme Court on Monday with the Uddhav Thackeray faction moving the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and allocating the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to it.The Election Commission on Friday had decided to recognise Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered the allocation of the ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol to it. The Commission allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to keep the ‘flaming torch’ poll symbol allocated to it till the completion of the assembly bypolls in the state.
