On May 11th, 2023, Thursday, the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on the three-year-long crisis sparked by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde’s revolt which led to the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray’s led alliance named Maha Vikas Aghadi in 2022. The Supreme Court further mentioned that they can not eliminate the Eknath Shinde-led government and declined the submission to take back Uddhav Thackeray as the chief minister, because it was his decision to resign rather than facing a test of Strength.  

Eknath Shinde along with 39 MLAs rebelled against the leadership of Shiv Sena which resulted in the division of the party and collapse of the MVA government in June 2022, which also compromised the Congress and NCP. Eknath Shinde later joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party to return as the CM. Uddhav Thackeray,  former CM of  Maharashtra, said that those who had left his party had no right to ask him any questions regarding anything, and also if Eknath Shinde has any morals and ethics, then he should resign at the earliest.

A five-member Constitution bench led by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, had been hearing a batch of petitions filed by both the groups of the Shiv Sena from February this year. It is said that the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s decision to call for a floor test by the ministers was not in accordance with the law. The former chief minister of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena UBT President Uddhav Thackeray said while reacting to a court verdict, “Eknath Shinde won after murdering the democracy. He should now resign on grounds of moral value.” 

The bench also said that the decision of the speaker to appoint Bharat Gogawale, a whip of the Eknath Shinde group, was illegal. The Supreme Court further mentioned that floor tests can not be used as a medium to settle party’s intra-inter party disputes. The final judgement was delivered by the five-judge bench including DY Chandrachud, Justice Krishna Murari, Justice Hima Kohli, Justice MR Shah, and PS Narasimha.