The Election Commission has allotted the name “Balasahebunchi Shiv Sena” to the Shinde group.
New Delhi:
The Shiv Sena faction, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has got “two swords and a shield” as a symbol for the upcoming bypoll in Andheri (East), the Election Commission said today. The commission has already allotted the name “Balasahebunchi Shiv Sena” to their group.
The commission, in its letter, said that the “Dhal Talwar” suggested by the Shinde faction was not in the list of free symbols.
“It resembles ‘Two Swords and a Shield (Two Swords and a Shield)’, a former reserved symbol of the ‘People’s Democratic Movement’ which was recognized as a State Party in 2004 … Your request dated 11.10.2022 On receipt of the notification of the Election Commission, the Commission has decided to declare ‘Two swords and one shield (two swords and shield)’ as an independent emblem and allot it … till the final order in the dispute is passed. “
The two factions of Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray, are being allotted new names and symbols as an interim measure as the commission decides on the question of “real army”.
Mr Shinde’s faction has claimed the legacy of founder Balasaheb Thackeray as well as the party’s “bow and arrow” election symbol. The group is not participating in the upcoming by-elections. There will be one BJP candidate representing the ruling coalition. But the Shinde faction has demanded that the Uddhav Thackeray group should not be allowed to use the “bow and arrow” symbol.
The commission, which put the “bow and arrow” symbol on the freeze, then decided to assign the new name and symbols as a temporary measure.
Yesterday, the commission said that the Uddhav Thackeray faction will be known as Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and its party symbol will be Mashal (flaming torch).
Mr Thackeray’s faction has challenged the ban on the bow and arrow symbol in the Delhi High Court, arguing that the commission cannot take such a decision without a hearing. “The freezing of the symbol by the Election Commission is due to malice in law. No candidate from the Eknath Shinde-led group is contesting the said election,” his plea said.
The Shiv Sena vs Shiv Sena battle began in June after Mr Shinde vertically split the party, with 48 MLAs in a BJP-backed coup against Uddhav Thackeray, who was the chief minister at the time. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government fell and Mr. Shinde formed a new government with the BJP.
The Shinde faction is now vying with the Thackeray faction for the party’s name and symbol, claiming that he is the true successor of Balasaheb Thackeray, the party’s founder and Uddhav Thackeray’s father.
The uproar over the election symbol has reached the poll body. Sources have said that a decision is likely to be taken on the rule of majority, where the commission will take into account the number of MLAs and party office-bearers from both the sides.