Uddhav Thackeray camp of Shiv Sena moves SC against EC decision allocating name, symbol to Shinde faction

Uddhav Thackeray. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain an oral mentioning made by the Uddhav Thackeray camp to urgently list on February 21 their plea challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India allowing rival Eknath Shinde faction the Shiv Sena symbol of ‘bow and arrow’.

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud asked senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, appearing for the Thackeray camp, to mention his case after listing it like the others.

The case was not part of the mentioning list on Monday. Mr. Singhvi had sought the court’s indulgence after the mentioning list was over and the regular board was about to begin.

“Let the matter be kept tomorrow,” he urged the CJI.

“Mr. Singhvi, Everything has to be done in an uniform manner. Come in the list tomorrow,” the CJI said, refusing Mr. Singhvi his chance.

“Senior or junior, left or right, black or white, the rules applies equally for all,” Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

The Election Commission, on February 17, recognised the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered allocation of the “bow and arrow” poll symbol to it.

In a 78-page order on the protracted battle for control of the organisation, the Commission allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to keep the “flaming torch” poll symbol allocated to it till the completion of the assembly bypolls in the State.

The Commission said MLAs backing Eknath Shinde got nearly 76% of votes polled in favour of the 55 winning Shiv Sena candidates in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls.