Eknath Shinde's was real Shiv Sena when new faction emerged: Maha Speaker

Speaker Narwekar's verdict comes on the deadline date set by the Supreme Court, for him to decide the fate of the rival Sena factions, which had filed a clutch of cross-petitions against each other

Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar, on Wednesday, said the Eknath Shinde-led faction was the real Shiv Sena political party when rival factions emerged in 2022. The statement was made by Narwekar while pronouncing the verdict on the disqualification pleas filed against Shinde-led rebel Sena MLAs under the anti-defection laws by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction.

In his verdict, Narwekar stated that the petitioner's (Uddhav faction) contention that the 2018 party constitution should be relied upon, is not acceptable. He also said that the Shiv Sena constitution provided by the Election Commission is the real constitution, which is to be called the SS Constitution. He said that Uddhav Thackeray had no power to remove Eknath Shinde from the post of party leader.

"The 1999 Shiv Sena constitution is relevant to the extent of identifying leadership structure," he said.

It is to be recalled that in February 2023, the EC had granted the 'Shiv Sena' name and 'bow and arrow' symbol to the Shinde-led faction. The EC's decision was based after due consideration on the aims and objectives of the party constitution.

Narwekar’s verdict came on the deadline date set by the Supreme Court, for him to decide the fate of the rival Sena factions, which had filed a clutch of cross-petitions against each other.

Shinde’s rebellion in June 2022 had led to a vertical split in the Shiv Sena, toppling the Uddhav Thackery-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which also included the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress.

The Maharashtra government comprises Shinde’s Sena faction, Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party.