6 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Wednesday (November 12, 2025) fixed January 21 for proceeding pleas filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena against the Election Commission's bid allotting the 'bow and arrow' awesome to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said that it volition commencement proceeding arguments from January 21 connected the Shiv Sena awesome dispute. The Bench volition past perceive arguments connected a akin quality concerning the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) connected January 22, arsenic determination are respective overlapping issues progressive successful some matters, it said.
The apical tribunal besides fixed 3 hours for proceeding arguments from each faction of the governmental parties.
Senior advocator Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Udhav faction, said that matters necessitate urgent proceeding arsenic determination are section assemblage polls successful the State. Justice Kant said governmental parties are ever successful predetermination mode successful India arsenic they are contesting nationalist elections, State polls oregon adjacent section assemblage polls.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Neeraj Kishan Kaul appeared for the Shinde faction.
On July 14, the apical tribunal fixed the substance for last hearing, saying the contented had been pending for a agelong clip and the uncertainty cannot beryllium allowed to continue. The Uddhav faction has challenged the February 17 bid of the Election Commission which has allotted the sanction 'Shiv Sena' and its canvass awesome 'bow and arrow' to the radical led by Mr. Shinde.
The Thackeray faction has besides questioned the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker's determination to manus implicit the party's sanction and awesome to the other faction based connected the legislative bulk saying it was contrary to a Constitution Bench verdict of the apical court.
On May 7, the apical tribunal asked the Thackeray-led faction to ore connected the section assemblage polls aft the enactment sought an urgent proceeding connected its plea against the Speaker's decision.
In January 2024, Speaker Rahul Narwekar rejected Shiv Sena-UBT's plea to disqualify 16 MLAs including Shinde of the ruling camp.
Challenging the orders passed by the Speaker successful the apex court, the Thackeray faction claimed they were "patently unlawful and perverse" and alternatively of punishing the enactment of defection, they rewarded the defectors by holding that they comprised the existent governmental party.
The Speaker, the plea claimed, erred successful holding that the bulk of the Shiv Sena legislators represented the volition of the Shiv Sena party.
In his ruling connected the disqualification petitions, the Speaker did not disqualify immoderate MLA belonging to the rival camps.
The Speaker's ruling further cemented Shinde's presumption arsenic the past Chief Minister, 18 months aft helium led a rebellion against Mr. Thackeray and added to his governmental heft successful the ruling coalition, which besides comprised the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) up of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Shinde faction won 7 seats. In the Maharashtra polls, the enactment won 57 seats, the BJP 132 seats, portion the Ajit Pawar-led NCP bagged 41 seats.
In December 2024, Devendra Fadnavis was backmost arsenic the Maharashtra Chief Minister with Shinde and Pawar arsenic Deputy Chief Ministers.
