Shiv Sena symbol dispute: SC asks Uddhav Thackeray faction to focus on Maharashtra local body polls

New Delhi [India], May 7 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction to focus on the upcoming Maharashtra local body elections, after the party sought an urgent hearing of its plea related to the 'bow and arrow' election symbol.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Shiv Sena (UTB), mentioned the matter for early hearing of the party's plea against the poll panel's decision to recognise the Eknath Shinde group as the official Shiv Sena and grant them the 'bow and arrow' election symbol.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh told Sibal that the matter could be taken up only after the court's summer break due to the paucity of time.
Sibal said the symbol, which has been with Shiv Sena (UTB), will be used by the Shinde faction in local body elections, and it will matter especially in rural areas.
As Justice Kant asked, since when local body elections were fought on party symbols, Sibal said it happens in Maharashtra, and the party symbol will have a great impact on voters' minds.
Sibal said the Election Commission decided to give the symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction solely on the test of legislative majority, which was contrary to the Constitution bench judgement of the apex court.
"Let the elections be held smoothly. You concentrate on that. In local bodies, mostly voters don't support a symbol," Justice Kant told Sibal.
The apex court said the matter can be heard by a vacation bench if Sibal makes a case and if it's very urgent.
On May 6, the apex court paved way for the local body polls in the state which were stalled for over five years due to a reservation issue. It ordered the Maharashtra Election Commission to notify it in four weeks.
On February 17, 2024, the Election Commission allotted the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the group led by Shinde.
The Uddhav Thackeray faction was allowed to use the name 'Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)' and the symbol of 'flaming torch' for the bye-elections in the Maharashtra assembly. The Election Commission had allowed that interim arrangement in view of the bye-elections in the Maharashtra assembly, scheduled to take place on February 26 last year.
The Thackeray group had challenged the Election Commission of India's order allotting the party name to the faction led by Shinde.
In 2023, the top court had allowed the Election Commission to decide which faction between Thackeray and Shinde be recognised as the 'real' Shiv Sena party and allotment of the 'bow and arrow' symbol.
The Thackeray faction had contended that the Election Commission had failed in its duties as a "neutral arbiter of disputes" under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order of 1968. (ANI)