Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction moves Supreme Court against EC order
The Election Commission has ordered both Sena factions to provide documentary evidence and written statements by August 8 to determine who represents the Maharashtra party.
FollowUddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena faction has asked the Supreme Court to prevent the Election Commission from deciding who controls the party, Thackeray or Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, until a decision on disqualifying MLAs who revolted against Thackeray, the former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, is made.
After forming the government with the Bharatiya Janata Party's support, Team Shinde claims to be the 'true Shiv Sena.'
The Election Commission has ordered both Sena factions to provide documentary evidence and written statements by August 8 to determine who represents the Maharashtra party. Following that, the Election Commission will hear the case.
In a petition to the Supreme Court, Team Thackeray stated that the Election Commission could not decide which group represents the Shiv Sena until there is clarity on the disqualification of rebel Sena MLAs who hopped from Gujarat to Assam to Goa last month in a political operation that dethroned Thackeray.
Team Shinde claimed in a letter to the constitutional body in charge of allocating party symbols and holding elections that it has the support of 40 out of 55 MLAs and 12 of the Lok Sabha's 18 MPs.
"...It is clear that the Shiv Sena has split into two factions, with Uddhav Thackeray leading one and Eknath Shinde the other; both the groups claim to be the real Shiv Sena with their leader being the alleged president of Shiv Sena party," the Election Commission said in a notice to the two camps on Saturday, requesting documentary evidence for the party's control by August 8.
The Election Commission stated that it would proceed with a "substantive hearing" only after receiving documentary evidence and written statements.
The Shinde camp had requested that the Maharashtra assembly Speaker disqualify Team Thackeray. The Supreme Court, however, instructed Speaker Rahul Narwekar on July 11 to halt the disqualification appeal for Team Thackeray.
The Shinde camp has stated that their Sena opponents should be disqualified for defying the party whip during the trust vote and Speaker election last month.
Both camps have been asked to frame issues for consideration by a larger bench of the Supreme Court by Wednesday, and the case will be heard on August 1.
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