Dussehra rally: Eknath Shinde faction MLA moves Bombay HC asking it not to hear Uddhav-led Shiv Sena's plea

Dussehra rally in Mumbai, Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, Dussehra rally at Dadar’s Shivaji Park, Du — Image Source : PTI/ REPRESENTATIONAL (FILE). Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray addresses a party meeting at Goregaon, in Mumbai, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022.

Highlights

CM Eknath Shinde faction MLA Sada Sarvankar today has filed an application in the Bombay High Court
He is requesting court to not hear or decide the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's petition
The petition is for permission to hold annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai

Dussehra rally: MLA Sada Sarvankar, of the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena, filed an application in the Bombay High Court on Thursday (September 22), seeking the court to not hear or decide the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena's petition for permission to hold their annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai.

Sarvankar said if the HC passes any order on the issue, then it would cause an impediment on the ongoing dispute on who represents the "real Shiv Sena".

The application is likely to be mentioned on Thursday before a division bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and Kamal Khata, which is scheduled to hear the petition filed by Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and its secretary Anil Desai on Wednesday (September 21) seeking permission to hold the Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park on October 5 (Wednesday).

In his application, Sarvankar, the MLA from Dadar in Mumbai, said he belongs to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's faction, who is the "Mukyaneta of Shiv Sena".

He claimed the petition filed by the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is "misleading and misrepresentation" (of facts) as they do not belong to the real Shiv Sena political party.

"As on date, there exists a dispute on who represents the real Shiv Sena and the issue is pending before the Election Commission of India and also the Supreme Court," the application said.

Under the garb of the present petition, the petitioners (Thackeray-led Shiv Sena) were trying to lay claim on the Shiv Sena, it said.

Sarvankar said on August 30 he had also filed an application to the Mumbai civic body seeking permission to hold the Shiv Sena's annual Dussehra rally at the iconic Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

He claimed the majority support from the Shiv Sena is for Eknath Shinde, and Uddhav Thackeray has no support within the party.

"In the past, this applicant (Sarvankar) was the one who used to file application to the BMC seeking permission to hold the rally at Shivaji Park," Sarvankar said in the plea.

India Tv - Dussehra rally in Mumbai, Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park, Dussehra rally at Dadar’s Shivaji Park, Du

Image Source : INDIA TV.Application filed by MLA Sada Sarvankar in the Bombay High Court.

It sought the HC to stay the hearing on the petition filed by Thackeray led Sena till the ECI and the Supreme Court hear and finally decide on the dispute.

ALSO READ: Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena moves Bombay HC to seek nod for Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park

BMC denies nod to both Thackeray & Shinde factions for Dussehra rally:

In a related development, Brihanmumbai Municipal (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal told media today that the civic administration has denied permission to both the Shiv Sena factions for holding the rally at the Shivaji Park.

The permission has been denied on the basis of law and order issue raised by Mumbai Police, according to civic officials.

Notably, the Shinde faction last week got the nod for holding a rally at the MMRDA ground at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai. According to the BMC, the Shivaji Park police in their feedback said the permission for rally to any of the two factions could lead to a "serious problem of law and order in the sensitive Shivaji Park area".

The civic body has sent letters to both the factions conveying about the denial of permission, officials said. On August 22, Anil Desai of the Thackeray-led Sena had applied to the BMC for permission to hold the rally at the Shivaji park in central Mumbai.

Later, on August 30, MLA Sada Sarvankar of the Shinde faction had also applied for nod from the civic body's G-North ward for holding the Dussehra rally at the park. Deputy municipal commissioner of BMC's zone-2 denied permission to both the Thackeray and Shinde factions based on the Shivaji Park police station's concerns about law and order.

"While both the opponent applicants have applied for permission to hold the Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Maharaj Park Maidan, if any one of the applicants is granted permission to hold the rally, this may create a serious problem of law and order in the sensitive area of Shivaji Park," as per the police remarks in the BMC's letter sent to both the factions.

(With agencies inputs)