Supreme Court today will decide if Shinde government should continue in power

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on today will decide Eknath Shinde administration's fate, almost year after a splintered group of Shiv Sena led by Shinde undermined the Thackeray government.

The Supreme Court’s verdict is so critical that it will decide whether Shinde and 15 other MLAs should be disqualified for quitting Shiv Sena in June last year.

The Shinde camp will be on tenterhooks until a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud delivers the verdict today.

Thackeray had approached the apex court seeking disqualification of turncoat lawmakers after they joined hands with the BJP to form a new government.

If disqualified, Shinde will have to step down as Maharashtra Chief Minister, disbanding the government.

It means either camp can have chance to form the new government depending on number of MLAs supporting them.

The fierce legal battle over the months saw top lawyers including Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing Uddhav Thackeray camp, while lawyers Harish Salve, Neeraj Kaul, and Mahesh Jethmalani stepping in for Eknath Shinde.

Maharashtra BJP Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said Shiv Sena-BJP alliance can prove majority if it is required as it has 184-plus votes in the 288-member assembly.

Arvind Sawant of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena reportedly said that it is a fight to save the constitution and democracy.

Meanwhile, the court asked Thackeray’s lawyer Singhvi to explain how Thackeray administration can be restored after he resigned rather than facing a vote in the Assembly.

Earlier the Election Commission allotted the name Shiv Sena and bow-and-arrow symbol to Mr Shinde, and Thackeray had to change his camp’s name and symbol.