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Late on Tuesday, Sena (UBT) parliamentary party leader Arvind Sawant wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, requesting him not to entertain any claim seeking recognition of a separate group or a merger with another political party by the defecting MPs. Sawant said the party’s claim that Shiv Sena (UBT) represents the “real Shiv Sena” remains sub judice before the Supreme Court and that his letter was being written without prejudice to that claim. He was responding to reports that certain MPs elected on the Sena (UBT)’s symbol had either approached, or were contemplating approaching, the Speaker seeking recognition as a separate group or merger with another political party within the Lok Sabha.