Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday, 19 July, named rebel Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale, who belongs to the Eknath Shinde faction of the party, as the leader of the party in the Lower House of Parliament.
The decision was notified late in the night through a circular issued by the Lok Sabha secretariat.
Earlier on Tuesday, at least 12 Lok Sabha MPs of the Shiv Sena had written to the speaker, urging him to appoint Shewale as their leader in the Lower House, expressing no confidence in the incumbent Vinayak Raut.
This came a day after the Thackeray camp had written to the speaker, asserting that Vinayak Raut is the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha and Rajan Vichare is the chief whip. It also urged the speaker not to entertain any representation from the rival faction.