Eknath Shinde wasn’t the BJP’s natural choice for the Chief Minister’s post but was a tactical choice. The state BJP president Chandrakant Patil confirmed this while addressing the party workers at Panvel almost a month after the new CM was sworn in. “We decided it with a heavy heart,” he said, after which the party clarified that it was the workers’ sentiments when in a surprise announcement Devendra Fadnavis was asked to be the Deputy CM. The clarification came notwithstanding the fact that such sentiments don’t fade away. It was a clear-cut move to avoid misunderstanding with the Shinde group of the Shiv Sena which is battling to seize control of their party. The Chief Election Commission has asked both factions to submit their claims with supporting evidence before it hears them on August 8, which will be a week after the Supreme Court’s next hearing of the petitions. The SC’s decision holds bearing on the very existence of the new government while the CEC will determine the controlling powers of the Sena and the owners of the party’s election symbol.

The SC is expected to hear the matter through a constitution bench because, as per the Chief Justice of India, some issues demanded so. The CEC has decided on such disputes in the past. It has allocated the election symbol to the faction having more numbers in the Parliament and state Assembly and also in the party organisation. If not satisfied, the CEC may even freeze a popular symbol, forcing both factions to have new ones. As far as the Parliament and state Assembly are concerned, the Shinde group’s nominees have been approved as group leaders and chief whips. The Shinde group’s defence against anti-defection law is that it hasn’t joined any party, but has revolted within the Sena. The first round of arguments in the SC from both sides is over. Considering the intricacy the court has a case that will have nationwide implications. Both Sena factions and the BJP have their fingers crossed.