New Delhi: In a jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray’s faction, the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, refused to stay the Election Commission’s last week’s order. The poll body also issued a notice to the Eknath Shinde camp on Thackeray’s petition and asked them to file a reply.

The apex court listed the matter after two weeks

On February 17, the poll body recognised the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena in its tussle with the Thackeray camp and allotted it the party’s ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol.

Refusing to stay the EC order, the top court said, “We cannot stay an order at this stage”. The SC further said that the Thackeray camp can pursue other remedies of law if any action is taken which is not based on the EC order.

The apex court listed the matter after two weeks.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Thackeray faction requested the apex court to grant interim relief and urged it to pass a status quo order. Sibal had earlier said that if the EC order is not stayed, they will take over the symbol and the bank accounts.

In its plea against the EC order, the Thackeray camp stated the points raised in the petition have a direct bearing on the issues which are being considered by the SC’s constitution bench.

The plea also said the poll panel has acted in a “biased and unfair manner” and that it has “failed” to discharge its duties as a neutral arbiter of disputes and acted in a manner “undermining its constitutional status”.

The petition further said that Thackeray faction has an overwhelming majority in the Pratinidhi Sabha which is the apex body representing the wishes of the primary members and other stakeholders of the party.