
The faction of Shiv Sena, led by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, has taken legal action by approaching the Supreme Court against the decision of Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. The speaker had officially recognized the faction led by Eknath Shinde as the ‘real Shiv Sena,’ triggering discontent within Thackeray’s group.
On January 10, Speaker Narwekar declared the Shinde-led faction as the legitimate Shiv Sena following the party’s split in 2022. The speaker also rejected the plea from Uddhav Thackeray’s faction, which sought the disqualification of 16 legislators associated with the Shinde camp.
Moreover, the speaker asserted that Thackeray lacked the authority to remove Shinde, who currently holds the position of Chief Minister, as the legislature party leader, according to the Shiv Sena constitution. Narwekar emphasized that the provisions of the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, addressing the anti-defection law, cannot be exploited by party leadership to suppress dissent or discipline issues.
During the party’s split in June 2022, the Shinde group secured the backing of 37 out of the total 54 Sena MLAs, as noted by the speaker. Subsequently, the Election Commission officially recognized the Shinde-led faction with the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and allocated the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol in early 2023.
Uddhav Thackeray criticized the speaker’s decision, deeming it an affront to the Supreme Court. Thackeray expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the speaker seemingly misinterpreted the mandate and acted beyond the framework laid down by the Supreme Court. The legal move adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing internal disputes within the Shiv Sena party.