The Shiv Sena, at its first national executive meeting, on Tuesday evening in Maharashtra, decided that Eknath Shinde would remain the “chief leader” of the party. Participants at the meeting, following the Election Commission’s recognition of the Shinde faction as the ‘real Shiv Sena’, gave all the decision-making powers to Shinde.

State Industries Minister Uday Samant and party leader Ramdas Kadam provided details about the resolutions passed during the meeting. The meeting was chaired by chief leader of the Shiv Sena Eknath Shinde. It was resolved to form a disciplinary committee, and another resolution demanded the inclusion of certain national personalities.

The disciplinary committee, headed by State Ports Development Minister Dada Bhuse, would ensure the smooth functioning of the party and take action against party leaders who act against the party lines. Shinde’s revolt against Thackeray’s leadership brought down the Thackeray-led Sena-Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra last June. Thackeray’s camp has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Shinde group’s defection.

All the MLAs, MPs, and party leaders unanimously gave the power to take all future decisions about the Shiv Sena to Eknath Shinde. Shinde asked all the MLAs and party leaders to focus more on carrying on good work and spend less time in responding to criticism.

Shinde’s backers alleged that the earlier national executive was autocratic and repressive. “Uddhav Thackeray tried to end the political careers of veteran Shiv Sena leaders,” Ramdas Kadam said.

Earlier, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut had alleged that a deal of Rs 2,000 crore has been made so far to ‘purchase’ the Shiv Sena name and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol. Raut had tweeted, “I have reliable information that there has been a deal of Rs 2000 crore to get the Shiv Sena name and its symbol. This is a preliminary figure and is 100 per cent true.” 

“Many things will be revealed shortly. Never before this has happened in the country’s history,” he had added.

The two factions, one led by Shinde and the other by former CM Uddhav Thackeray, are engaged in legal battles over the control of the Shiv Sena. 

The Shinde-led executive body also passed a resolution, demanding that the Churchgate train station in Mumbai be named after former RBI governor and finance minister C D Deshmukh.