Silence is golden! No national leader has commented publicly on the key verdict by state Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar that identified the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde as the real Sena and also validated the Shinde faction’s party whip as the official whip, contradicting the Supreme Court verdict. Sources said the silence could possibly be because once the verdict is challenged in the SC by the Uddhav Sena, it is likely to face backlash.

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar—in his much-awaited verdict on Wednesday—ruled that Shinde led the real Shiv Sena after the split in 2022 and validated Shinde faction leader Bharat Gogawale’s appointment as the whip. The SC had ruled last year that the appointment of Gogawale was illegal, which Narwekar has now contradicted.