The Supreme Court of India has scheduled to hear the plea of the Uddhav Thackeray faction against the order of Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar on January 22, 2024.

The development unfolded as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Sunil Prabhu an MLA from the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, approached Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. Sibal requested the case to be heard on Monday (22 January) instead of its scheduled Friday (19 January) slot, and the Chief Justice agreed to the request.

The legal battle stems from the fallout within the Shiv Sena party, where factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde are vying for recognition as the legitimate Shiv Sena. On January 15, the Uddhav Thackeray faction moved the Supreme Court challenging Speaker Rahul Narwekar's decision to acknowledge the Eknath Shinde faction as the authentic representation of the Shiv Sena.

The plea also contested the Speaker's dismissal of disqualification petitions against 14 MLAs from the Eknath Shinde faction who had rebelled and split from the party in 2022. The split had triggered a series of legal actions, with both factions attempting to secure legitimacy.

Simultaneously, the Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena approached the Bombay High Court on the same day, challenging Speaker Narwekar's refusal to disqualify 14 MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction.

The crux of the matter dates back to June 2022 when the split occurred within the Shiv Sena party. Speaker Rahul Narwekar, on January 10, declared his faction led by him as the "real Shiv Sena." This proclamation was accompanied by the rejection of disqualification cross-petitions filed by the rival factions, deepening the legal complexities surrounding the dispute.

Sunil Prabhu, representing the Uddhav Thackeray faction, had initially filed disqualification petitions against the rebel MLAs on June 23, 2022, after they openly revolted against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership.