Delhi HC dismisses Uddhav Thackeray's plea against EC's order freezing Shiv Sena party name, symbol
In an interim decision issued on October 8, the Election Commission (EC) restricted the two Shiv Sena factions led by Thackeray and Shinde from using the party name and election symbol in the Andheri East assembly by-election.
FollowThe Delhi High Court dismissed a petition filed by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray challenging the Election Commission's interim order freezing the Shiv Sena party name and election symbol on Tuesday.
According to Justice Sanjeev Narula, it's in the best interests of the two Shiv Sena factions and the general public for the Electoral Commission's proceedings on using the Shiv Sena's bow and arrow election symbol and name to be completed soon. It requested that the poll panel make a decision sooner.
The court said the current petition is dismissed. Earlier this year, Maharashtra's current chief minister, Eknath Shinde, raised a revolt against Thackeray, accusing him of forming an 'unnatural alliance' with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Over 40 of the Shiv Sena's 55 MLAs backed Shinde, forcing Uddhav Thackeray to resign. Shinde's side claimed the party's name and electoral symbol, claiming to be the true Shiv Sena.
In an interim decision issued on October 8, the Election Commission (EC) restricted the two Shiv Sena factions led by Thackeray and Shinde from using the party name and election symbol in the Andheri East assembly by-poll.
Thackeray had petitioned the Supreme Court last month to overturn the EC ruling blocking the party name Shiv Sena and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow.'
The petition claimed that the EC showed undue haste in passing the order without allowing Thackeray to be heard, despite his application demanding an oral hearing.
In his plea, Thackeray said that the party symbol is intrinsically linked to it, having been used since the Shiv Sena was founded by his father, Bal Thackeray, in 1966.
(With inputs from PTI)
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