The Supreme Court on Tuesday referred the dispute between Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions of Shiv Sena to a five-judge Constitution bench. The bench will hear the case on Thursday (August 25). The apex court ordered the Election Commission not to take any action till Thursday (August 25) on the application filed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's camp for recognition as the 'real Shiv Sena' party and allotment of the 'bow and arrow' symbol to it.
A month after the split in the Shiv Sena, the rival Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde camps are in a race to secure support from across the party’s ranks, with their eyes on its symbol — the bow and arrow.To this end, the two sides have been wooing party workers and the lowest rung of Sena functionaries.hackeray, who has often battled criticism from party workers for not interacting enough with them or spending enough time at Sena Bhavan, the party’s HQ in Mumbai, has hit the ground running with son Aaditya.The Thackerays have been reaching out to Sena workers and functionaries in a bid to convince them that those part of the Shinde faction are “pawns” in the BJP’s alleged ploy to finish the Shiv Sena.In a bid to stop the exodus, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena has also wielded another weapon in its armoury — letters ousting party leaders who extend support to Shinde.