The 17th February decision of the ECI in effect recognised the Eknath Shinde Sena as the original party founded by Balasaheb Thackerey, thereby depriving Uddhav Thackeray of his father’s legacy. The Uddhav Shiv Sena filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the ECI’s decision to grant the Shinde faction the name and party symbol on the grounds that relying on the legislative majority test is unwarranted with disqualification proceedings against Shinde’s supporters still pending in the SC. If the MLAs are disqualified on the grounds of defection, the Shinde faction would not have a legislative majority.
The Supreme Court began hearings of the Uddhav Thackeray faction’s plea against the ECI’s decision on 22nd February 2023. On the ground, Uddhav Thackeray has already announced a statewide tour from 5th March to boost the morale of the Sainiks, for now appearing to be standing close with Thackeray family and Uddhav, given the Thackeray name’s synonymity with the Shiv Sena. However, loss of a large majority of MLAs will mean that Uddhav Sena and Thackeray himself haves an uphill challenge aheadin front of him to not only keep its flock of Sainiks with itself but also find viable candidates for the impending Assembly polls next year. Moreover, elections to the cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, safely under the Shiv Sena’s belt for the last 27 years, will be a trial run for both Shinde and Uddhav and effectively setting the tone for the Sena politics before 2024.
