Eknath Shinde

It may be noted that Shinde had mounted a rebellion in June, flying away with over 40 Sena MLAs with the help of the BJP.

The Thackeray group had urged the top court to stop the Election Commission from deciding who forms the real Shiv Sena and its symbol. The court gave a decision after hearing the case.

Eelier, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had told the Supreme Court while appearing for the Uddhav Thackeray camp that democracy is in peril and whatever happened in Maharashtra is a mockery of democratic institutions.

The move of the Bombay High Court is being considered as a big blow for CM Eknath Shinde camp as it had requested the court to allow it to hold the rally.

While Amit Shah’s two-day visit ended on Wednesday, the news about the security lapse emerged on Thursday morning.

The Supreme Court has also asked the Election Commission of India to refrain from deciding on Shinde’s demand to recognise his faction as the real Shiv Sena.

Days after the continuous potshots by the Opposition that the Maharashtra government is being run by only two persons — Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — a total of 18 MLAs had taken oath as ministers in Mumbai on Tuesday last.

Vice president of BJP’s Maharashtra unit Chitra Wagh on Tuesday tweeted her displeasure over the inclusion of Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Rathod into the cabinet.

Ahead of the cabinet expansion, Shinde and the BJP held several meetings. The Chief Minister also visited Delhi to discuss the expansion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The bench, headed by the Chief Justice of India, asked both the sides to file documents, compilations and replies by August 1 and adjourned the matter.