Sena vs Sena: Uddhav faction points out AB Forms hours after Speaker's verdict

Mumbai: Hours after Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar legitimised the Eknath Shinde-led group as the real Shiv Sena, the rattled Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) raised questions about the AB Forms that were issued for party candidates ahead of the 2019 Vidhan Sabha polls.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) also pulled out an old social media post by Shinde thanking Thackeray for issuing the AB Form to contest from the Kopri-Pachpakhadi constituency of the Thane district.

In his order, Narwekar had held that the Shiv Sena's amended Constitution of 2018 was not on record with the Election Commission, thereby making the party's 1999 Constitution the document of import when adjudicating matters.

Put simply, while the 1999 Constitution says that ‘rashtriya karyakarni’ (national executive) is the supreme authority, the 2018 Constitution says it is the ‘paksha pramukh’ (party president) who has the most decision-making powers.

In the post dated 30 September, 2019, Shinde said: “Shiv Sena ‘paksha pramukh’ today reposed confidence in me and issued the AB Form to contest from Kopri-Pachpakhadi as an official candidate … I thank him for this.”

Just after the verdict, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Shilpa Bodkhe, who is the party’s East Vidarbha communication in-charge, questioned the verdict, asking, “How can the AB Form be authorised (then)?”

The Shiv Sena (UBT) too posted after the Speaker’s order, pointing out: “If the post of party president was not accepted then how (could you) accept the AB Form… don’t delete this post….”

Leader of the Opposition in the Council Ambadas Danve too levelled a similar charge in a post on X.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “If they didn't have the records, then how come all the AB Forms signed by the party leader over which these 40 traitors fought became valid? Even if we assume that there was no agreement over the amended constitution, who stopped you from approaching the Election Commission? Did we tie your hands and legs? You only remember your Constitution in 2022?"

Refuting the charge that internal elections were not held, the Shiv Sena (UBT) also shared a video of the national executive held in 2018 for the purpose of declaring election results, in which Uddhav Thackeray was unanimously elected as ‘paksha pramukh’.