Uddhav faction moves SC over EC decision, hits out at 'Shinde faction'

The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena on Monday moved the Supreme Court against Election Commission's decision last week to give the party name and symbol to the faction led by the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde which has been recognised by the poll panel as the real Shiv Sena.

The plea said that the poll panel "failed" to consider that his action enjoys a majority in the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha.

Uddhav Thackeray, who addressed the media in Mumabi, said everything has been "stolen" from him but the name 'Thackeray' cannot be stolen.

Uddhav Thackeray challenged "Shinde faction" to leave the name of his father and "win elections using the name of their father by forming a party".

"Everything has been stolen from me. The name and symbol of our party have been stolen but the name 'Thackeray' cannot be stolen. We have moved the Supreme Court against the decision given by the Election Commission, the hearing will start tomorrow," said Uddhav Thackeray.

Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena mentioned before the Supreme Court its plea seeking an urgent hearing on the petition challenging against Election Commission's decision.

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the lawyer of Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena to mention it tomorrow.

Thackeray said that the election panel should be dissolved while the matter is going on in the Supreme Court.

"The Election Commission only has control over the symbol of parties... EC panel should be dissolved, the matter is going on in the Supreme Court. I received calls from Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee," he said.

He alleged that if the current scenario in the state is not stopped then anarchy would start after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"If this (the current scenario in Maharashtra) is not stopped, the 2024 Lok Sabha elections may turn out to be the last elections in the country as after that anarchy will start here," the former Chief Minister said.

Thackeray said he had urged the Election Commission not to give a decision as the matter concerning MLAs was pending in the Supreme Court.

"There is no question of whip being issued as now there are two factions at present which have been recognised by ECI and based on that they have got the name and symbol and we have already challenged this," he said.

The plea by Uddhav Thackeray faction said poll panel was erroneous in its decision and that the entire edifice of the "impugned order" (EC's decision) is based upon the purported legislative majority of Shinde which is an issue to be determined by the top court in the Constitution Bench

"The ECI has failed to consider that the petitioner enjoys a majority in the Legislative Council (12 out of 12) and Rajya Sabha (3 out of 3). It is submitted that in a case of this kind where there is a conflict even in the legislative majority i.e., Lok Sabha on one hand and Rajya Sabha on the other as well as Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, more particularly, having regard to the fact that there is a possibility of the alleged members losing their right of membership, the legislative majority alone is not a safe guide to determine as to who holds the majority for the purposes of adjudicating a petition of the Symbols Order," the plea said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Sanjay Raut on Monday refused to budge from his allegations that "Rs 2000 crore deals and transactions were done to get Shiv Sena symbol and name".

"We've approached Supreme Court against the EC. I stand by my statement that there was a deal of Rs 2000 crore by which the Shinde faction got the party name and symbol," he said.

A complaint was filed against Raut in Nashik for his objectionable remarks against the Chief Minister.

"I have heard that complaint has been registered over this statement. Even if one lakh such complaints are registered, Sanjay Raut will not be scared," Raut said.

The chief whip of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) Bharat Gogawale reached Vidhan Bhavan on Monday urging Speaker Rahul Narvekar for the handover of the Shiv Sena legislative party office at Vidhan Bhavan.Gogawale said that the office at Vidhan Bhavan belonged to the Shinde faction after the EC decision.