In a significant legal move, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Maharashtra Speaker's decision regarding the recognition of the "real Shiv Sena." The decision has stirred political controversy within the state.
The Maharashtra Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, recently declared a faction led by senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut as the "real Shiv Sena." This move has further strained relations between the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, which comprises the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress.
Despite Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar's recent ruling in favour of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction in the Sena vs Sena conflict, the internal strife within Shiv Sena shows no signs of resolution. Narwekar's decision, based on the 1999 version of the undivided party's Constitution, favoured Shinde's group, asserting that Uddhav Thackeray lacked the authority to expel Shinde, thus keeping him as a Shiv Sena member.
On Monday afternoon, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, once the uncontested leader of the Shiv Sena, approached the Supreme Court, challenging Narwekar's determination of the "real Shiv Sena." Thackeray also contested the Speaker's rejection of petitions seeking the disqualification of lawmakers who joined Shinde's faction after quitting the undivided Shiv Sena in June.
Expressing his discontent with Narwekar's verdict, Thackeray accused the Speaker of undermining democracy and acting on Shinde's instructions. Thackeray criticised the decision as an "insult" to the Supreme Court, calling it a "murder of democracy."
Following the split in June 2022, both Sena factions issued disqualification notices against each other. The Shinde faction's list included 14 of the 16 MLAs supporting Uddhav Thackeray, while Thackeray's faction filed petitions against 40 MLAs from Team Shinde. Last February, the Election Commission recognised the Shinde faction, granting it ownership of the bow and arrow election symbol of the undivided party founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray. The ongoing legal battle intensifies the power struggle within the Shiv Sena, raising questions about its future direction and leadership.
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