Shiv Sena symbol dispute: Shinde camp's arguments in SC put off to Wednesday

The months-long dispute over the Shiv Sena party name and its bow-and-arrow election symbol remains unresolved. The symbol currently rests with the Shiv Sena faction of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a claim being challenged by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The hearing scheduled for Tuesday could not take place. According to information received, the three-member bench could not be convened, due to which the hearing was postponed.

The petition will now be heard on Wednesday. The three-member bench comprises Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana. Earlier, during hearings on September 16 and 17, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the Eknath Shinde faction, had argued in support of the Election Commission's decision. The Shinde faction backed the Election Commission's ruling that gave Eknath Shinde the Shiv Sena name and symbol.

On the other side, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Devadatt Kamat, appearing for the Thackeray faction, argued that the Election Commission's decision violates the laws laid down in the Constitution.

At the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had also questioned the Election Commission's decision-making process. The court asked why the option of allotting separate symbols to both the Thackeray and Shinde factions was not considered. Lawyers for the Shinde faction also argued that in the last election, the Shinde faction had received more votes than the Uddhav Thackeray faction, which they said showed public support.

To this, the Supreme Court made clear that these votes were not for any one individual but for the Shiv Sena. The court also said both factions should have demonstrated their ability to win votes on their own merit, rather than relying on the legacy of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. The Thackeray faction has demanded that the Shiv Sena's bow-and-arrow election symbol be frozen.