Final Shiv Sena verdict likely in new year, says lawyer Asim Sarode as Supreme Court hearing drags on

The Supreme Court is hearing the dispute over who owns the Shiv Sena party and its symbol. The case is before a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. The Thackeray faction has already completed its arguments, while the Shinde faction's arguments are still under way.

The court had said the hearing would be completed in October. October is over, but the hearing is not. Prominent lawyer Asim Sarode has reacted to this and commented on when the verdict in the Shiv Sena matter could come.

Sarode shared his views in a post on X. He also mocked the arguments of Dhruv Mehta, the Shinde faction's lawyer. He said the court sat for only 15 minutes yesterday in the power struggle case. Sarode said the arguments made on Shinde's behalf can only be called utterly laughable, and that it is serious that they are being allowed to be made. He also asked whether the Supreme Court has no responsibility at all to regulate its proceedings.

Sarode set out the substance of the arguments in his post. According to it, while deciding the Subhash Desai case, the bench of the then Chief Justice Dhananjaya Chandrachud had given the Assembly Speaker the power to decide on the disqualification of MLAs. The Speaker therefore decided in line with the Supreme Court's orders and the Tenth Schedule. The argument was that if there were flaws in the Speaker's ruling, it would be proper to send the matter back to the Speaker. Sarode called this argument utterly laughable.

It was further argued that the term of the then Assembly has itself expired, so the demand for disqualification is rendered infructuous. Sarode mocked this, saying, "Wow! Everything is turning out to be entertaining." He also said the final verdict is more likely to come in the new year.

What happened in court yesterday is also worth noting. Dhruv Mehta, the Shinde faction's lawyer, had argued forcefully. Mehta had said that Assembly elections have been held and the Assembly's term has ended, so the demand to disqualify the MLAs is infructuous. He had also claimed that Eknath Shinde had appointed Bharat Gogawale as whip and that the whip he issued was valid.

The court heard the matter for 15 minutes yesterday. Dhruv Mehta argued in court for the first time. The next hearing in the case will now be held after Diwali. A verdict by the end of December or in the new year is therefore being anticipated.