Shiv Sena political party, both Uddhav and Shinde claimed the party's name and symbol, causing widespread confusion. Shinde subsequently filed a petition in the Election Commission of India (ECI) staking his claim to the 'Shiv Sena' name and the bow and arrow symbol. The ECI ruled in favor of Shinde's faction based on the strength of its legislative wing, rather than on the organizational wing, as the latest Constitution of the party was not on record. The Election Commission also found the changes made to the Shiv Sena party constitution in 2018, under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, to be undemocratic. The amendments centralized the party's control and were criticized for not allowing free, fair, and transparent elections for the party positions. The Shinde faction was found to have the majority in the legislative wing, with 40 Members in the Legislative Assembly and 13 Members of Parliament supporting it. As a result, the ECI allowed Shinde's faction to retain the Shiv Sena name and the bow and arrow symbol. After hearing on 17 February 2023 the Election Commission recognized Eknath Shinde's faction as the real Shiv Sena. Uddhav appealed against the decision in the Supreme Court. Party structure and caste composition Structure The Shiv Sena (SS) is led by a president, traditionally referred to as the "Shiv Sena Pramukh," () which translates to "Shiv Sena Chief" in English. Bal Thackeray served as the first Shiv Sena Pramukh and took all major decisions while the activists and members of the Shiv Sena, known as Shiv Sainiks, () carried out most of the party's grassroots work. During his last days, the day-to-day activities of the party were handled by his youngest son Uddhav Thackeray, who succeeded him as party leader after his death in 2012. The present Mukhya neta () of the party is Eknath Shinde, who assumed the post in 2023 after overtaking the party. Shiv Sena has a network of grassroots organizations, known as "Shiv Sena Shakhas" (). The Shakhas serve as the primary unit of the party, with each Shakha consisting of 25-50 members. The Shakhas are responsible for carrying out the party's activities at the grassroots level, such as mobilizing voters during elections, organizing protests and rallies, and engaging in community service activities. In addition to the Shakhas, the party has various other organizational structures, including the Yuva Sena, ( army) party's youth wing, and the Mahila Aghadi,