Wed Jul 02 08:05:07 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article based on it:

**Summary:**

Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, has urgently appealed to the Supreme Court to allow his group to use the original Shiv Sena party name, symbol (bow and arrow), flag, and emblem (roaring tiger) for upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra. Thackeray argues that these symbols are deeply associated with the original Shiv Sena. This plea comes as a challenge to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to grant the name and symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction following a split in the party. The Supreme Court has listed the case for hearing on July 14th, after elections for local bodies in Maharashtra were ordered to be conducted in the next four months.

**News Article:**

**Thackeray Appeals to Supreme Court Over Shiv Sena Name and Symbol Ahead of Local Elections**

**New Delhi – July 2, 2025** – Uddhav Thackeray, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, has made an urgent plea to the Supreme Court to allow his group to use the original Shiv Sena party name, ‘bow and arrow’ symbol, flag, and ‘roaring tiger’ emblem for the upcoming Maharashtra local body elections.

Thackeray’s application challenges the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision in February 2023 to award the name and symbol to the faction led by current Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after a split within the party. The case has been pending in the Supreme Court for two years.

Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing Thackeray, argued before a Vacation Bench that voters strongly associate these symbols with the “pious” identity of the original Shiv Sena, which has been consistently elected since 1985.

The application requests the court to direct the ECI to assign a different name and symbol to the Shinde faction for the elections, which will encompass 27 municipal corporations, 232 municipal councils, and 125 nagar panchayats across Maharashtra.

Kamat drew a comparison to a similar case involving the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), where the court allowed a breakaway faction to use the original symbol with the condition of publishing a public notice clarifying the ongoing legal dispute. He suggested a similar interim arrangement for the Shiv Sena.

However, legal counsel for the Shinde faction countered that previous Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections had proceeded without such changes.

The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for the case on July 14th. The court recently ordered the conduct of local body elections in Maharashtra, which had been delayed due to litigation, with a target to complete the elections within four months.

The outcome of this case could significantly impact the upcoming local elections and the future of the Shiv Sena’s identity in Maharashtra politics.

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