Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Nov 29: The Election Commission will hold hearings on December 12 with the rival Shiv Sena factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray, according to official sources.
They claimed that the party’s symbol dispute had advanced to the ‘substantive hearing’ stage. The necessary order was issued on Tuesday, and the first in-person meeting between the two sides has been scheduled for December 12.
Both factions have been instructed by the polling panel to submit any additional statements or documents by 5 PM on December 9. The Commission had earlier this month requested new documentation from the Shiv Sena factions to support their claim to the party name and symbol by November 23.
Additionally, the polling panel had requested that they exchange the materials that had been provided to it.
The Commission had prohibited the two factions from using the party name or its “bow and arrow” symbol in an interim decision issued in October.
Later, the party had assigned the names “Shiv Sena – Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray” for the Thackeray faction and “Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena” (Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena) for the Eknath Shinde faction.
The interim order will remain in effect until the dispute is finally resolved, according to the EC.
Shinde had defied Thackeray’s rule, claiming the backing of 40 of the party’s 55 MLAs and 12 of its 18 Lok Sabha representatives. With the backing of the BJP, Shinde took over as chief minister when Thackeray resigned as leader of the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress coalition.
Representatives of the sections or groups who wish to be heard may be heard under paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols Order.
