Sena vs Sena: What comes next for Uddhav Thackeray after Maharashtra Speaker’s order?

On Wednesday, Uddhav Thackeray received a body blow when Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar held that the Eknath Shinde-led faction was the real Shiv Sena in the battle of Sena vs Sena.

The ruling has cemented Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde’s position and also added heft to the ruling coalition in the state, which consists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the Assembly elections in Maharashtra.

While the Shinde faction celebrated the order, analysts maintained that the Speaker’s order was on expected lines. Even Sharad Pawar, NCP chief and ally of the Thackeray-led Sena, said the verdict was not at all surprising.

But for those who thought this was the end of the matter, think again. Uddhav Thackeray doesn’t seem to be in the mood to relent. We take a closer look at what the verdict said, what it means for Uddhav Thackeray and what steps can he take next.

Speaker’s verdict in Sena vs Sena tussle

On Wednesday, in a 105-minute-long reading of his decision, Speaker Rahul Narwekar declared the Eknath Shinde-led group to be the ‘real Shiv Sena’.

Narwekar, however, dismissed all 34 petitions, filed by both sides, seeking the disqualification of 54 MLAs belonging to rival factions.

Narwekar said that for his decision he had followed three parameters: the Shiv Sena Constitution, its leadership structure, and legislative majority. He maintained that the Shiv Sena (undivided) constitution was amended in 2018 but it was not on the records. So, the constitution of 1999 which was there with the Election Commission of India was considered.

Following this, Uddhav Thackeray had no power to remove Eknath Shinde from the post of the legislature party leader and maintained that Thackeray’s decision from 2022 is not the will of the political party.

After giving his decision, he said the order sent out a clear message that no party is a “private limited property”, and it is also against autocracy and dynasty politics.

Following the order, celebrations broke out among Chief Minister Shinde’s supporters while Shinde hailed the decision. “I always used to say that a majority is important in a democracy. We have a majority in the Assembly and Lok Sabha. The real Shiv Sena name and poll symbol have been allotted to us by the Election Commission,” he was quoted as saying.

Uddhav-led Sena’s next steps

But as Shinde and his camp celebrated, the Uddhav-led camp called the Speaker’s decision a “murder of democracy”. Speaking from Matoshree, the Thackerary’ official residence in Mumbai’s Bandra area, Uddhav trashed the verdict and attacked the Speaker for violating the mandate set by the Supreme Court.

Thackeray questioned Narwekar’s decision, arguing that he had not disqualified anyone, which was the core matter. “He gave the order on whom does Shiv Sena belong to, based on the Election Commission’s order, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. He has disrespected the Supreme Court by taking undue advantage of protection he enjoys as Speaker. Democracy has been violated, raising questions on the existence of the Supreme Court itself,” said Thackeray.

He further added that Narwekar didn’t have the authority to invalidate him as Sena chief. “How can the Assembly Speaker decide whether we should have Shiv Sena chief or Shiv Sena party chief? It is our decision.”

In no mood to relent, Uddhav called the order a “fixed match”, alleging that the Speaker had met the CM before delivering his verdict.

He stated that he would fight this injustice and approach the Supreme Court against Narwekar’s decision.

Veteran Sena leader Sanjay Raut also slammed the order, calling it a “conspiracy”. He added it was a “black day” for the Marathi manoos. “The order (by the Speaker) has been received from Delhi, we do not accept it. This order is not according to law and the Constitution. It was BJP’s dream to finish Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, but the Shiv Sena will not end like this. The order is a conspiracy. Will definitely go to the Supreme Court… our fight will continue in courts,” Raut was quoted as telling news agency PTI.

Narwekar’s counter

Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar countering the Thackeray decision to move court said, “…just because you approach the court does not mean that the order passed by the Speaker is overturned.”

He also hit back at the Thackeray camp over “match fixing” allegations, saying there was no provision under the law, which stated that the Speaker while adjudicating disqualification petitions could not perform other duties.

“I am a member of a legislative board… the chief minister is the member. We have to meet every month to discuss various issues pertaining to the board. I am also an MLA of the constituencies and so I have various issues which I have to take up with the government…There’s nothing unreasonable in meeting the chief minister,” Narvekar told news agency ANI.

This remark came after the Sena-led group raised objection to a meeting between Narwekar and Shinde, just ahead of the verdict in the Shiv Sena MLA disqualification case.

How Speaker’s order could be a boon for Thackeray

While the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray called out the Speaker for his decision, there are analysts who believe that it may not be all bad news for Uddhav.

Political analyst Prakash Akolkar noted that the decision to recognise the Shinde-led party as the “real” Shiv Sena will help garner people’s sympathy for former CM Uddhav Thackeray, who stepped down in June 2022, in the upcoming elections.

“This is expected to benefit Uddhav as he will get sympathy. Now, the real fight will be before the people who will decide the real Shiv Sena,” Akolkar, the author of a book on the 57-year-old outfit, Ha Shiv Senanava cha Itihas aahe (This is the history of Shiv Sena), told PTI.