Maharashtra Political Crisis LIVE Updates: Shinde to Remain CM? SC Verdict Today on Sena vs Sena

Ahead of the Supreme Court judgement that will decide the fate of the Sena-BJP government led by CM Eknath Shinde today, Shiva Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a dig at the Shine-faction of Shiv Sena and tweeted, “I am waiting for you. Jai Maharashtra” in Marathi. Last month, Raut had claimed that the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government will collapse in the next 15-20 days. READ MORE

The Supreme Court on Thursday will decide the fate of the Sena-BJP government led by CM Eknath Shinde, who is one of the 16 MLAs whose disqualification plea is before the top court. The SC judgment is expected to end the debate on ‘Who is the real Shiv Sena?’

Ahead of the Supreme Court’s judgement on Shiv Sena-centric political crisis in Maharashtra, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said the ruling Sena-BJP alliance can prove a majority if needed.

“Even the Opposition leader (Ajit Pawar) and Sharad Pawar know that there is no threat to the incumbent Eknath Shinde-BJP government. But if the need arises, we will prove majority by winning more than 184 votes in the state Assembly,” Bawankule was quoted by PTI as saying.

A Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, with its judgment on Thursday, is set to deliberate on some important questions of law which would also set the law straight for such intra-party disputes in the future and the use and application of the anti-defection law.

The bench comprising Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha will decide whether the notice for removal of a Speaker restricts him from continuing with disqualification proceedings under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.

The top court is also set to also rule on what is the scope of the powers of the Election Commission of India (ECI) with respect to the determination of a split within a party.

Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday said the Supreme Court verdict will determine if democracy “exists” in the country and judiciary “functions” independently, according to a PTI report.

The Supreme Court on Thursday will decide the fate of the Sena-BJP government led by CM Eknath Shinde, who is one of the 16 MLAs whose disqualification plea is before the top court. The SC judgment is expected to end the debate on ‘Who is the real Shiv Sena?’

On the other hand, Shiv Sena (Shinde) spokesperson and party MLA Sanjay Shirsat asserted that there is no nervousness in their camp. “We have seen the results the Election Commission gave us the party name and symbol and we won the first stage,” Shirsat was quoted by PTI as saying.

The Supreme Court in March 2022 reserved its verdict on a batch of cross-petitions of Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions regarding last year’s political crisis in the state, including one seeking disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs (of Shinde’s party) who rebelled against Thackeray’s leadership.

The SC judgment today will decide the fate of the Sena-BJP government led by CM Eknath Shinde, who is one of the 16 MLAs whose disqualification plea is before the top court. READ MORE

In February 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena paving the way for it to be the ‘real Shiv Sena’. The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction was to continue to be ‘Shiv Sena (UBT)’ with the poll symbol of a ‘flaming torch’, the order said. READ MORE

The ECI had asked both factions of the Shiv Sena to submit documents to support their arguments over claims on the election symbol of the political party by August 8, 2022.

On August 23, the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission not to pass any orders on the Shinde faction’s plea that it be considered the real Shiv Sena and granted the party’s poll symbol. However, in September 2022, The top court gave permission to the ECI to conduct the proceedings on who is the ‘real’ Shiv Sena.

On June 29, 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s plea challenging Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari’s decision to invite Eknath Shinde to form the government and also the Speaker’s election and floor test.

The Top court gave a go-ahead to the floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly for June 30, essentially asking Thackeray to prove a majority on the floor in the House. Then-CM Uddhav Thackeray announced his resignation after the Supreme Court’s order and Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the chief minister.

Uddhav Thackeray then challenged the Shinde-led faction’s plea to the Election Commission (EC), claiming they are the ‘real Shiv Sena’ and hence should be granted the party symbol.

After the 2019 Maharashtra assembly polls, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena broke its alliance with the BJP over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post. Thackeray joined hands with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress to form the MVA government in the state.

However, Thackeray’s government collapsed in June 2022 after a revolt against the Sena leadership by Shinde and 39 other legislators. On June 30, Shinde became the Maharashtra Chief Minister with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. Thus, the two factions of Shiv Sena were formed, led by Thackeray and Shinde, with both groups claiming they were the ‘real Shiv Sena’.

On Thursday, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court will pronounce its order over the petitions concerning situations which unravelled in the aftermath of Eknath Shinde’s rebellion against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in June 2022.

Following the rebellion, a faction of Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde joined hands with the BJP and formed a government in Maharashtra with Devendra Fadnavis as his Deputy. Shinde also claimed that his faction was the ‘real Shiv Sena’, thus starting a battle with Uddhav Thackeray on-ground and in the Supreme Court.