The case relates to the allocation of the ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol and the dismissal of disqualification petitions filed against MLAs from the Shinde group by the Maharashtra Speaker
The long-running political and legal battle began after Eknath Shinde broke away from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena in June 2022. Representational Pic/File
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that that it will start the final hearing on January 21, 2026 in the ongoing dispute between the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena, the ANI reported.
The hearing is scheduled on petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena challenging the Election Commission’s order that allotted the party’s traditional ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi announced that arguments in the Shiv Sena symbol dispute would commence on 21 January, followed by a hearing on a related case involving the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on 22 January, as both matters raise similar constitutional questions, according to the PTI.
The court has allocated three hours of argument time for each faction involved in the two cases.
Appearing for the Thackeray-led faction, senior advocate Devadatt Kamat urged the court to take up the matter urgently, noting that local body elections in Maharashtra were approaching. Responding to this, Justice Surya Kant remarked that “political parties in India are always in election mode”, as polls are held at the national, state, and local levels throughout the year.
Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Neeraj Kishan Kaul appeared on behalf of the Shinde faction.
The top court had earlier, on July 14, listed the case for a final hearing, observing that the issue had been pending for a considerable time and that “such uncertainty cannot be allowed to continue.”
Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena: Supreme Court says it will begin final hearing on January 21, 2026, the dispute between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde group of Shiv Sena in relation to allotment of ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol and dismissal of disqualification pleas by Maharashtra…
— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2025
Following the split, Shinde had become Chief Minister of Maharashtra with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Election Commission of India later recognised Shinde’s faction as the 'real' Shiv Sena and granted it the party’s traditional ‘bow and arrow’ symbol — a decision strongly challenged by the Thackeray camp. Uddhav Thackeray then moved the Supreme Court, arguing that the decision was unfair and unconstitutional.
On 10 January 2024, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar rejected a plea filed by the Shiv Sena (UBT) to disqualify 16 MLAs from the ruling camp, including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Challenging the Speaker’s decision in the Supreme Court, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction argued that the orders were “patently unlawful and perverse.” The petition contended that, instead of penalising defection, the Speaker had effectively rewarded the defectors by recognising them as the “real political party.”
The Thackeray faction further claimed that the Speaker had erred in assuming that a majority of legislators represented the will of the Shiv Sena, insisting that the party’s identity and control should rest with its organisational structure rather than numerical strength in the legislature.
In his ruling, the Speaker did not disqualify any MLA from either faction, a decision that significantly strengthened Shinde’s political position.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured seven parliamentary seats, while in the subsequent assembly elections, his faction won 57 seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP claimed 41 seats.
By December 2024, political dynamics shifted once again when Devendra Fadnavis returned as Maharashtra Chief Minister, with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar serving as Deputy Chief Ministers, marking yet another phase in the state’s ever-changing political landscape.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)
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