14 July 2025 | New Delhi

 

The long-running political and legal battle between rival factions of the Shiv Sena over the party’s “bow and arrow” symbol is set to reach a decisive stage in the Supreme Court of India next month. A bench led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Monday announced that the matter would be heard in August 2025, after months of procedural wrangling and political fallout.

 

 

At the heart of the dispute is not just a party symbol, but the claim to Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. The case pits Uddhav Thackeray, son of the late Shiv Sena founder, against Eknath Shinde, the current Maharashtra Chief Minister who led a dramatic political rebellion in 2022, toppling Uddhav’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

 

The Election Commission of India (ECI), in February 2023, handed over the original party name “Shiv Sena” and the traditional symbol “bow and arrow” to the Shinde-led faction, citing its numerical strength in the Maharashtra Assembly. Uddhav’s camp was allotted the temporary name “Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)” and a new “flaming torch” symbol.

 

Uddhav Thackeray challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, arguing that the ECI had wrongly equated legislative strength with organizational legitimacy, sidelining the party’s foundational ideology and core structure.

 

 

Appearing for the Uddhav faction, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal pressed for urgent listing, citing upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra and the risk of voter confusion due to parallel Shiv Sena factions contesting under different symbols.

 

However, the bench declined to grant immediate relief and instead opted to hear the main case in detail in August, aiming for a “comprehensive resolution” rather than piece-meal directions.

 

“We don’t want to get into interim directions on symbols again and again. Let us hear the matter finally,” Justice Kant reportedly observed during the brief hearing.

 

What’s at Stake?

 

The dispute goes far beyond symbols and election machinery. It raises critical constitutional questions:

• Should legislative majority alone decide which faction is the ‘real’ party?

• Does the ECI have unchecked discretion in symbol allotment during internal party splits?

• Is internal party democracy being overridden by short-term political arithmetic?

 

The outcome will impact not only local polls in Maharashtra but also the 2026 State Assembly elections, where both camps plan to contest as Shiv Sena heirs.