Mumbai:

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has challenged in Supreme Court docket the Election Fee’s choice to award the Shiv Sena title and image to his rival and successor Eknath Shinde.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi talked about the matter earlier than a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud for an early itemizing of the Thackeray-led Sena faction’s request.

The CJI, nonetheless, refused to cross any order.

“The rule applies equally to all, whether or not left, proper or centre. Come tomorrow by means of correct course of,” the bench mentioned.

The election fee recognised the faction led by Mr Shinde as the true Shiv Sena and allotted them the “bow and arrow” ballot image. The ruling is a blow to the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray, whose father Bal Thackeray based the social gathering in 1966. 

In June final 12 months, Mr Shinde had mounted a rebel, flying away with over 40 Sena MLAs with the assistance of the BJP, and triggering the eventual ouster of Mr Thackeray’s authorities that included two ideologically disparate allies within the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Occasion.

In its 78-page order, the Election Fee allowed the Thackeray faction to maintain the “flaming torch” ballot image allotted to it until the completion of the meeting bypolls within the state.

The Fee mentioned MLAs backing Shinde received almost 76 per cent of votes polled in favour of the 55 successful Shiv Sena candidates within the 2019 Maharashtra Meeting polls.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction’s MLAs received 23.5 per cent of votes.