The apex court has listed January 21 for the final hearing on the Uddhav Thackeray faction’s plea challenging the Election Commission’s decision to allot the Shiv Sena name and symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led group
Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Arvind Sawant (left) and Anil Desai (right). File Pic
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) lawmaker Arvind Sawant on Wednesday said the party’s ‘bow and arrow’ symbol belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction. “The logo should be back to us. It has been with us for a really long time; it is the face of our identity,” he told mid-day.com.
Speaking to reporters, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai said, “We believe the Supreme Court will deliver justice, but it must be done in a timely manner for it to be meaningful. However, the court has now scheduled the hearing for January 21.”
The Supreme Court has scheduled January 21 for the final hearing on the Uddhav Thackeray faction’s plea challenging the Election Commission’s decision to allot the Shiv Sena name and symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led group. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi will also hear a similar dispute related to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on January 22, as both matters involve overlapping legal issues.
Each faction will get three hours to present its arguments. Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing the Thackeray faction, sought an early hearing, citing upcoming local body polls in Maharashtra. The court, however, noted that political parties in India are “always in election mode”.
The Thackeray faction has also contested Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s decision to recognise the Shinde group as the “real Shiv Sena”, calling it unconstitutional and contrary to an earlier Supreme Court ruling.
In January 2024, Narwekar rejected the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s plea to disqualify 16 legislators, including Shinde, from the ruling party's camp. The Uddhav Thackeray faction has challenged this order, calling it “unlawful and perverse” and accused the speaker of rewarding defectors.
The speaker's decision further strengthened Shinde’s position as chief minister, solidifying the ruling coalition with the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction. In the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Shinde faction won seven and 57 seats respectively, while the BJP and Ajit Pawar’s NCP bagged 132 and 41 seats. In December 2024, the Mahayuti alliance returned to power with a thumping majority. Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the Chief Minister and Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar were sworn-in as his deputies.
Shiv Sena (UBT) expels Jalna district chief Bhaskar Ambekar for 'anti-party activities'
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday said that it has expelled its Jalna district chief, Bhaskar Ambekar, for allegedly engaging in activities deemed to be against the interests of the party.
According to an official statement issued by the party’s central office, the action was taken under the direction of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The statement said that Ambekar’s conduct amounted to "anti-party activities" and therefore, warranted immediate expulsion.
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