Sena vs Sena: Uddhav’s term as president ends before EC hearing

MUMBAI: With the Election Commission scheduling the next date of hearing in the battle between the Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions to January 30, there is a question mark on Uddhav’s continuation as Sena president since his 5-year term ends on January 23.
The Sena (UBT) had sought the EC’s nod to hold its organisational elections or ad interim allow the current structure to continue, but the poll panel did not issue any order during its hearing on Friday. However, senior leader Anil Parab said Uddhav would remain the president for party workers and his term ending on January 23 was only a legal and constitutional formality. This means that technically, his term will end on Monday.
Uddhav was elected the president by the Sena’s national executive in January 2018. He first took charge as the party chief on January 23, 2013, after the death of his father, Sena founder Bal Thackeray, in November 2012.
Parab said all arguments had concluded and written submissions could be made till January 30 after which the EC would give its order on the ‘real Sena’. “We don’t need any legal permission to accept that Uddhav is the party president. Only the legal process is to be completed. It may get done when the decision is taken by the EC,” he said.
CM Eknath Shinde said the EC would take a decision as per law. The Sena internal elections are to be held to comply with the EC’s directives to political parties to hold organisational polls. The Sena (UBT) had dissolved the post of executive president which Uddhav had held during Balasaheb’s lifetime before he became the ‘paksh pramukh’ (party president). The national executive is the Sena’s highest decision making body and is headed by its president.
Meanwhile, hitting out at Shinde, Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said, “All of Maharashtra knows who Shiv Sena belongs to. The Shiv Sena belongs to Hinduhriday samrat Shiv Sena pramukh Balasaheb Thackeray, party president Uddhav Thackeray and all of us Sainiks. The decision will be in our favour as truth will prevail. But how long will the unconstitutional CM and the government continue? Just because of one man’s demonic ambitions, all this is happening. This government itself is illegal.”