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CM Shinde sent a letter to deputy speaker Neelam Gorhe to appoint a new Shiv Sena Whip to the state legislative council.

In the letter, he named Viplav Gopikishan Bajoria to be appointed as Shiv Sena’s new chief whip in the legislative council, which is the upper house of the state assembly.

The appointment of the whip leader holds great significance as it will make the party line clear in the assembly and will also send a unanimous message to the opposition after the Election Commission’s stamp of approval.

Once the Whip is appointed, MLCs from the Uddhav camp will have to follow the Whip from Shinde’s Shiv Sena.

Currently, there is no split among the eleven members of the legislative councils (MLCs) of Shiv Sena in the upper house. All the MLCs support Uddhav Thackeray, except one.

On February 17, the EC allotted the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the group led by CM Shinde. This was the first time that the Thackeray family lost control of the party that was founded in 1966 by Bal Thackeray on the principles of justice for the sons of the soil.