Blow to Ex-Maharashtra State Chief as Top Court Refuses to Intervene in 'Real Shiv Sena' Case

Uddhav Thackeray's government in India's Maharashtra state collapsed in June after current state chief Eknath Shinde rebelled against him, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena, the party founded by the former's father Bal Thackeray. Shinde subsequently partnered with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a new government.

In a massive setback to former Maharashtra state chief Uddhav Thackeray, the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to decide who forms the "real Shiv Sena" on Friday.

The top court's verdict came on a plea related to the split in the Sena after the political outfit got divided into two groups headed by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde, respectively.

The Thackeray faction had petitioned the Supreme Court to put a stay on the poll body's proceedings that would decide the Shinde-led faction's claim to the party and its symbols.

Shinde became chief of India's western state of Maharashtra, while the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis took oath as his deputy, after his predecessor Thackeray resigned on June 30.

Of the 55 Sena lawmakers in the Maharashtra state assembly, 40 currently side with Shinde while the remaining 15 support Thackeray.

The Shinde group is also being supported by a majority of the party's parliamentarians. The Shiv Sena has 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament), 12 of which back Shinde.

In case of a dispute within a political party, the Election Commission decides matters after taking into account how many elected MPs, state legislators and office bearers, including district unit chiefs, are supporting a particular group.

The group having the majority of them on its side is recognized as the official party and is given the symbol on which it can contest state and national elections.