From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday kept in abeyance till Monday any decision on the dispute between the two Shiv Sena factions, asking the Election Commission (EC) not to precipitate the dispute till further orders.
It fixed Monday to decide whether to refer the constitutional matters to a 5-judge Bench on the disqualification of the MLAs from both sides in the political imbroglio in Maharashtra.
“If the Thackeray faction seeks time to file response to the EC’s notices on the Shinde faction’s petition to recognise it as the real Congress, it should be considered keeping in mind the views expressed by the Apex Court,” said the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana and also comprising Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli.
On the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction’s plea to EC to recognise it as real Shiv Sena and give it the party symbol, the Uddhav Thackeray camp said few MLAs cannot decide about the entire party. The SC order came as a breather to the Thackeray faction.
The constitutional issues arising out of the petitions from both sides include those related to the split of the parties, defections and disqualification that will go before the Constitution Bench of the five judges for the decision that may take own time, enabling Eknath Shinde to continue as the chief minister for long time
