Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on a plea challenging the Election Commission’s decision to grant the Shiv Sena name and poll symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction, party leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that the apex court is the “last ray of hope”, reported ANI.
The Shiv Sena Uddhav Babasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader further alleged that all institutions in the country have stopped working, and said that “democracy has been murdered”.
“Now the Supreme Court is the last ray of hope. All institutions have stopped working in this country. Democracy has been murdered, so now the only hope is the Supreme Court. We will go there and seek justice,” Raut told reporters.
In a huge blow to the Thackeray faction, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on February 17 allowed the party’s ‘Shiv Sena’ name and ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction. Following the EC order, the Thackeray faction had approached the Supreme Court against the EC order.
Requesting for an urgent listing, senior Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal, arguing for the Uddhav faction, had said that if the EC order was not stayed, the Shinde camp will take over the symbol and bank accounts and more disqualifications will take place.
The top court has listed for today the Thackeray camp’s petition challenging the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allot the party’s ‘Shiv Sena’ name and ‘bow and arrow’ symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction. The hearing led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will commence at 3:30 PM.
CJI Chandrachud had earlier said that the case will be listed after the Constitution Bench hearing in the Shinde-Thackeray dispute concerning the disqualification of the then “rebel” MLAs who formed the government in association with the BJP after Thackeray resigned as the CM just ahead of the floor test.