Faction led by Eknath Shinde is ‘real’ Shiv Sena, announces Maharashtra Speaker

Mumbai: In a significant verdict, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday ruled that the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is the “real” Shiv Sena.

The Speaker also held that the then Chief Whip Sunil Prabhu ceased to hold the post and the new Chief Whip Bharat Gogawale was the validly elected Chief Whip.

The Speaker’s much-awaited verdict comes as a huge relief to Shinde and a major blow to the Shiv Sena-UBT, led by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray, who had contested the claims of the breakaway group.