The Election Commission gave the name “Balasahebanchi ShivSena” to the Shinde group.
New Delhi:
The Election Commission said today that the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Maharashtra Eknath Shinde has received the ‘Two Swords and Shield’ as a symbol for the upcoming by-election in Andheri (Eastern). The committee named “Balasahebanchi ShivSena” for his group.
In its letter, the Commission said that the “Dhal Talwar” proposed by the Shinde faction was not on the list of free symbols.
“It resembles an original preserved symbol ‘Do Talwarein aur Ek Dhal (Two Swords & Shield)’ of the ‘People’s Democratic Movement’ which was recognized as a state party in 2004 … When received your request on 11.10.2022, the Commission decided to declare ‘Do Talwarein aur Ek Dhal (Two Swords & Shield)’ as a free symbol and assign it…until the final order is granted. adopted in the Dispute,” read the notice from the Election Commission.
The two factions of Sena – led by Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray – are being allotted new names and symbols as an interim measure as the Commission makes a request on the “real Sena” question.
Mr. Shinde’s faction has made a claim to the party’s electoral symbol “bow and arrow” along with the legacy of its founder Balasaheb Thackeray. The group will not participate in the upcoming goodbye polls. A BJP candidate will represent the governing coalition. But the Shinde faction asked the Uddhav Thackeray group not to use the “bow and arrow” symbol.
The commission, which housed the frozen “bows and arrows” emblem, then decided to allocate new names and symbols as an interim measure.
Yesterday, the Commission said that the Uddhav Thackeray faction would be called Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the party’s symbol would be the mashaal (flaming torch).
Mr Thackeray’s faction opposed the freezing of the bow and arrow symbol at the Delhi High Court, arguing that the Commission could not make such a decision without a hearing. “The ECI’s freezing of this symbol is due to malice in the law. No candidate from the group led by Eknath Shinde is running for said election,” his petition reads.
The conflict between Sena and Sena began in June after Mr. Shinde split the party vertically, leading the 48 MLA in a BJP-backed coup against Uddhav Thackeray, who was Minister at the time. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government collapsed and Mr. Shinde formed a new government with the BJP.
The Shinde faction is currently competing with the Thackeray faction over the party name and electoral symbol, claiming that they are the true heirs of Balasaheb Thackeray, the party’s founder and father of Uddhav Thackeray.
The row above the election icon has reached the polling agency. Sources have said that the decision could be made by majority rule, with the Commission taking into account the strength of lawmakers and party office bearers on either side.
