Uddhav vs Shinde: Election Commission asks to prove majority in Shiv Sena factions
23 Jul 2022 11:45:42
Mumbai, July 23: Election Commission has asked Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to submit documentary evidence to prove that they alone enjoy respective majority support in the Shiv Sena party.
Anil Desai of Uddhav Thackeray’s camp wrote to ECI, alleging that some people in the party had engaged in anti-party actions. He had also protested against Shinde for forming another political party with titles ‘Shiv Sena’ or ‘Bala Saheb.’ Desai in the letter has requested that Eknath Shinde, Gulabrao Patil, Tanji Sawant, and Uday Samant be removed from their positions in the party.
According to reports, when two factions claim the same emblem, EC looks at how much support each faction has inside the party’s organization and its legislative branch. The process then carries on to identify key office bearers and decision-making bodies inside the political party, as well as how many of its members or office-holders support which factions.
“Given the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, it is evident that there is a split in the Shiv Sena- one group of which is being led by Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde and the other group is being led by Uddhav Thackeray, both the groups claim to be the real Shiv Sena with their leader being the alleged President of Shiv Sena party,” the EC was quoted.
EC reportedly forwarded to the Uddhav Thackeray camp the letter written to EC by the Eknath Shinde faction, as well as Thackeray camp’s statement to Shinde faction. EC has instructed both organizations to submit written responses and any supporting materials by 1:00 PM on August 8.
The poll panel has asked both the factions to file their replies by 1 pm on August 8.
EC will conduct a hearing on allegations and disagreements between Shiv Sena factions after both the leaders submit the documentary evidence. The feud over ‘true Shiv Sena’ has reached the Election Commission, with both the Shinde and Thackeray factions writing to the poll body to stake their claims to the party.
Anil Desai of Uddhav Thackeray’s camp wrote to ECI, alleging that some people in the party had engaged in anti-party actions. He had also protested against Shinde for forming another political party with titles ‘Shiv Sena’ or ‘Bala Saheb.’ Desai in the letter has requested that Eknath Shinde, Gulabrao Patil, Tanji Sawant, and Uday Samant be removed from their positions in the party.
Eknath Shinde camp also has petitioned under Section 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation & Allotment) Order, 1968, to identify the faction led by Eknath Shinde as Shiv Sena and to assign the party symbol “Bow and Arrow” to the unit. Shinde has also informed the EC that he has the support of 40 out of 55 MLAs, different MLCs, and 12 out of 18 MPs.
“Given the above-mentioned facts and circumstances, it is evident that there is a split in the Shiv Sena- one group of which is being led by Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde and the other group is being led by Uddhav Thackeray, both the groups claim to be the real Shiv Sena with their leader being the alleged President of Shiv Sena party,” the EC was quoted.
EC reportedly forwarded to the Uddhav Thackeray camp the letter written to EC by the Eknath Shinde faction, as well as Thackeray camp’s statement to Shinde faction. EC has instructed both organizations to submit written responses and any supporting materials by 1:00 PM on August 8.