Not a blow: Aaditya Thackeray as Supreme Court allows poll panel to decide ‘real’ Sena

It’s not a blow by the Supreme Court, Aaditya Thackeray told India Today TV after the top court said that there will be no stay on the Election Commission’s proceedings to decide who commanded the “real” Shiv Sena – Eknath Shinde or Uddhav Thackeray – in Maharashtra. However, the decision is being celebrated as a big win by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s camp.

“They (the judges) have asked to start the process of hearing about the party symbol. We have full faith in the judiciary and law. We saw the Shinde camp dancing when Uddhav Ji resigned. So what can you expect from them?” the former Maharashtra minister asked.

“I want to ask them why they have not been able to bring any big projects to the state,” he added.

Earlier in the day, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice DY Chandrachud heard the petition about the rift in the Shiv Sena that saw the Maharashtra party break into factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray.

After a day-long hearing, the bench said that there would be no stay on proceedings before the Election Commission to decide an intra-party dispute in the Shiv Sena between the factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde in which one is the original party and who would get the party symbol.

The bench rejected the Uddhav faction’s plea that the poll panel not be allowed to proceed in the matter till the Supreme Court decides a plea pertaining to the disqualification of Shiv Sena MLAs.

The legal team of the Eknath Shinde faction has written to the Election Commission with the details of the Supreme Court order, sources said.

Also Read | Blow to Uddhav Thackeray as Supreme Court allows poll panel to decide ‘real’ Shiv Sena

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