Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday termed the Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s verdict validating the former’s faction as the real Shiv Sena as the “victory of democracy”.

While speaking to the reporters, Shinde said that the result has been given on merit.

“It is ‘Satyamev Jayate’. Truth has won…This result has been given on merit. Majority is very important in democracy and hence the decision given by the Speaker today is the victory of democracy,” news agency ANI quoted Shinde as saying.

He also congratulated the “Shiv Sainiks” in the state.

Also Read: Eknath Shinde-led faction is real Shiv Sena, all disqualification petitions dismissed: Speaker Rahul Narwekar

“Firstly, I sincerely congratulate all the Shiv Sainiks of the state. Today, democracy has once again won. Lakhs of voters in the state who voted for Shiv Sena-BJP alliance candidates in 2019 have won today. This is the victory of the Shiv Sainiks, who went out with the banner of the thoughts of Hindu Heart Emperor Balasaheb Thackeray,” a rough translation from Eknath Shinde’s post on X in regional language suggested.

He further tweeted, “Today’s result is not a victory for any party, but a victory for the Indian constitution and democracy. The majority is always important in a democracy. Shiv Sena, the parent party, has been officially handed over to us by the Election Commission and the bow and arrows have also been handed over to us. Apart from electoral alliances, the tendency to form governments with others was fatal to democracy. After today’s result, that kind of thing will stop. From today’s results, the dictatorship and the dynasty have been broken.”

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also congratulated the Chief Minister and praised his leadership.

“Under the leadership of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, constitutional and legal procedures were completely followed while forming the government in the state. That is why this government is strong and stable. And we have been saying this from the beginning,” a translation from Fadnavis’ tweet in Hindi read.

Also Read: Uddhav Sena moves Supreme Court on Eknath Shinde-Speaker meet

Speaker’s ruling

Narwekar in a landmark verdict ruled that Shinde’s faction was the real Shiv Sena and dismissed the petitions filed by the UBT faction. He also said that Thackeray had no right to remove Shinde as the leader of the legislature party as according to the constitution of the party, the national executive was the supreme body and not the paksha pramukh.

Reading out his ruling on disqualification petitions filed by the Shinde-led Sena and the rival faction led by Uddhav Thackeray against each other’s MLAs, Speaker Narwekar on Wednesday said that Sunil Prabhu of the Sena (UBT) ceased to be the whip from June 21, 2022, and Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde group became the authorised whip.

The Speaker also held that the Shiv Sena ‘pramukh’ (chief) did not have the power to remove any leader from the party. He also did not accept the argument that the will of the party chief and the will of the party were synonymous.

Shiv Sena (UBT) dismayed

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction leaders denounced the verdict and said that they will challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

Also Read: Sena vs Sena verdict today: The dispute and possible scenarios – EXPLAINED

Former chief minister and UBT faction chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the verdict is a murder of democracy and an insult to the Supreme Court’s guidelines.

“I think the Assembly Speaker did not understand the mandate — what he was asked to do. It was a simple case of disqualification. The Supreme Court laid down a framework but the Speaker thought he was above the Supreme Court and came up with his own court and verdict,” Uddhav said. “Probably, he did not understand or there were orders from the top,” Thackeray said.

Maharashtra political crisis

In June 2022, Shinde with around 40 MLAs rebelled against Thackeray that led to a vertical split in the Shiv Sena. Shinde eventually joined hands with the BJP. Shinde was made the chief minister while BJP’s Fadnavis settled for the deputy CM post.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) allotted the ‘Shiv Sena’ name and ‘bow and arrow’ symbol of the party to the Shinde-led faction, while Thackeray’s factions got ‘flaming torch’ as the symbol.

In July, the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also joined the Shinde-led government in Maharashtra.