Shinde says his Shiv Sena faction has majority in Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha

Election Commission of India is an independent constitutional authority and we have faith in the judiciary and authorities, said Shinde

Hours after the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to take a call on which Shiv Sena faction is “real”, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who staged a rebellion and toppled Uddhav Thackeray’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said his group has the majority in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha.

“We welcome the decision of the apex court. We have a majority in both places, the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha … the Election Commission of India is an independent constitutional authority and we have faith in the judiciary and authorities,” Shinde told reporters in Mumbai, hours after the Supreme Court order.

Also Read: SC ruling no relief for Shinde camp as plea for disqualification of MLAs pending: Congress

“This is what is expected in democracy … numbers have a big importance and we do have numbers…in fact, our decision was not beyond the law,” Shinde said, adding that the rest of the issues are sub-judice before the apex court. “We have faith in democracy and the judiciary,” he said.

However, hours before the order, Thackeray had told a group of Shiv Sena workers the same thing. “I have full faith in the judiciary, and we will win,” Thackeray had said.

After the Supreme Court verdict, although Thackeray did not make any comments, one of his close Matoshree aides, and former MP, Chandrakant Khaire said that the party had faith in the judiciary. “We will produce necessary documents before the Election Commission … in fact, we had already tendered a set of documents before it,” Khaire said.

When asked about Shinde being felicitated after the order, Khaire said: “It is just ‘satkar’ (felicitation) of ‘gaddar’ (traitors).”

Shinde group’s spokesperson, minister Deepak Kesarkar, however, pointed out that the Supreme Court’s order is a welcome decision and the Election Commission being an independent Constitutional authority would take the correct decision.