The Supreme Court agreed to hear Uddhav Thackeray's plea against the Election Commission as they ordered to allot the party name 'Shiv Sena' and the 'bow and arrow' symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction on July 31.
The plea was sought urgent listing by advocate Amit Anand Tiwari following which a bench of Chief DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha confirmed that it was listed for hearing.
The EC allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to retain the name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the ‘flaming torch’ poll symbol, given to it in an interim order last year.
According to PTI, the bench said on Monday, "It is listed on July 31, we will hear it on that day," while they allowed Tiwari to file a rejoinder on the Shinde faction response. SC sought a response from the Shinde faction on February 22.
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In his application, Thackeray mentioned that according to the Constitution bench judgment by the SC pronounced on May 11, the Election Commission order is completely illegal and thus it needs urgent hearing. His application further said, "Further, elections are imminent, and respondent No. 1 (Shinde) is illegally using the party name and symbol." The application also pointed out that while issuing notice in the matter, the SC on February 22 had directed it to be listed after three weeks but it did not get listed.
What did Udhhav Thackery say?
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is currently on his two-day trip across Maharashtra to boost the morale of his party workers after the Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government creating ripples in the political environment of the state.
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Thackeray started his trip in the Vidarbha region and while speaking to reporters in Amaravati district, he said that the name of his party was given by his grandfather Keshav Thackeray and he will not let anyone 'steal' it, aiming at the Election Commission order of alloting the name and symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction.
According to PTI, Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said, “The Election Commission has no powers to change the name of a party. It can allot an electoral symbol to a party.”
He added, “The name Shiv Sena was given by my grandfather, how can the EC change the name? I will not allow anyone to steal the name of the party."
When asked about the Unity Meeting of the opposition parties that took place in Patna and another one scheduled for later this month in Bangalore, Thackeray reportedly said, “I will not call it as the unity of the opposition parties, but we all are patriots and we are doing it for the sake of democracy." He also said that it is the unity of the people who love their country.
