The Supreme Court on August 4 said it would decide, likely by August 8, the question of referring the battle between Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over the "real" Shiv Sena to a Constitution Bench.
Meanwhile, the three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India N. V. Ramana requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to desist from taking any precipitate action on Mr. Shinde's claim over the party and its symbol of bow and arrow.
The ECI, represented by senior advocate Arvind Datar, argued that disqualification proceedings under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) of the Constitution did not affect the poll body's power to decide rival claims over a party.
