Shiv Sena faction challenges Speaker's role in Maharashtra split at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court heard arguments in the ongoing Maharashtra Shiv Sena dispute, with the Uddhav Thackeray faction mounting fresh legal challenges to key decisions made during the party's bitter internal struggle. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Thackeray camp, contended that breakaway legislators had fundamentally violated the party's foundational constitutional provisions, undermining the legitimacy of their political actions.

The hearing focused on the role played by the state Assembly Speaker in facilitating the faction led by Eknath Shinde, with the Thackeray group alleging that the Speaker's decisions had advantaged the rival camp. The arguments signaled continuing judicial scrutiny of how the Maharashtra political crisis has been managed by constitutional authorities.

The Shiv Sena split, which emerged as one of Maharashtra's most significant political upheavals in recent years, has spawned multiple legal battles over party symbol recognition, legislative disqualification proceedings, and the validity of political moves made by both factions. The Supreme Court's examination of these issues carries implications for how institutional frameworks handle intra-party conflicts of this scale.