Election Commission to hear both Shiv Sena factions over symbol, name dispute on December 12
The Commission had earlier this month requested that Shiv Sena factions submit new documents to support their claim to the party's name and symbol by November 23. The poll panel has also directed both groups to submit any additional statements or documents by December 9 at 5 pm.
FollowAccording to the official sources, the Election Commission will hear the warring factions of the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde on December 12, on Tuesday.
They said the party's symbol dispute had progressed to the 'substantive hearing' stage. The date for the first personal hearing of the two factions has been set for December 12, and the necessary order was issued on Tuesday.
The poll panel has also directed both groups to submit any additional statements or documents by December 9 at 5 pm.
The Commission had earlier this month requested that Shiv Sena factions submit new documents to support their claim to the party's name and symbol by November 23.
The poll panel had also asked them to exchange the documents they had submitted to the poll panel.
The Commission had issued an interim order in October prohibiting the two factions from using the party's name or the 'bow and arrow' symbol.
Later, it designated 'ShivSena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' as the Thackeray faction's party name and 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena' (Balasaheb's Shiv Sena) as the party name for the Eknath Shinde faction.
The EC stated that the interim order would be in effect "until the final determination of the dispute."
Shinde had rebelled against Thackeray's leadership, claiming the support of 40 of the Shiv Sena's 55 MLAs and 12 of its 18 Lok Sabha members.
Following Thackeray's resignation as the CM of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition, Eknath Shinde became chief minister with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Section 15 of the Election Symbols Order allows for hearing representatives of sections or groups who wish to be heard.
(With inputs from PTI)
Also Read: Uddhav Thackeray slams Basavaraj Bommai over border issue, says, 'I'm afraid Karnataka will..'
