Shiv Sena row: 'Hopes EC serves justice', says Sanjay Raut

Raut said there is only one Shiv Sena which is led by Uddhav Thackeray

Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said there is only one Shiv Sena which is led by Uddhav Thackeray and hoped the party will get justice from the Election Commission which is hearing contentions of the two Shiv Sena factions, each of them seeking recognition as the "real" Shiv Sena.

Talking to reporters, Raut said he trusts EC, though "independence and autonomy" has not been seen in autonomous institutions.

The poll body is scheduled to hear the petitions by Shiv Sena factions on January 12. Post split last June, the factions led by former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his successor Eknath Shinde are locked in a legal battle with each of them seeking recognition as the real Shiv Sena.

“There is only one Shiv Sena. There is just one Shiv Sena which is founded by Balasaheb Thackeray and one which is being led by Uddhav Thackeray. The entire Shiv Sena is with them,” Raut told reporters.

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He said it cannot be called a split when the leaders who won on the Shiv Sena symbol have left (the party).

“They will lose," he said.

"We trust the Election Commission which is an autonomous and independent body. We have had an example of T N Seshan (former Chief Election Commissioner). So far, independence and autonomy are not being seen in these institutions. People in these institutions are appointed by the government. We hope we will get justice and Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray will get justice,” he added.

Of the 56 MLAs of the Shiv Sena, 39 MLAs and 18 of the 13 Lok Sabha MPs from Maharashtra have aligned with Shinde, whose rebellion against Thackeray led to the collapse of the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi government last June.