Thackeray vs Shinde: SC to hear plea against EC ruling on Shiv Sena name and symbol on Wednesday | India News

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will hear on Wednesday at 3:30 pm the Shiv Sena-Thackeray faction’s plea challenging the Election Commission order allocating the ‘Shiv Sena’ party name and ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol to rival Eknath Shinde faction.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Thackeray facion sought urgent stay of the EC order, arguing the other side has taken over the Sena office in Maharashtra assembly and would soon take over the party bank account.

Sibal pressed for a hearing late Tuesday afternoon. But the bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud said the judges need to read the special leave petition filed by Thackeray faction.
Shinde group has also filed a caveat to prevent any ex-parte order by court.
The Election Commission last Friday recognised Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s faction as real Shiv Sena and allotted the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to it.

The Shiv Sena symbol was claimed by the party’s rival factions led by Shinde and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
The two factions were using separate party names and symbols allotted to them after the EC ‘froze’ the Shiv Sena name and party symbol until the dispute was decided by it.
Uddhav Thackeray had disputed the EC decision, calling it “theft” and accused the poll body of being partisan.