Election Commission of India has approved new names for the two factions of Shivsena
New Delhi:
The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena will now be known as Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and its new party symbol will be the torch. This was announced by the Election Commission of India today. The faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will be called Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena), Election Commission said.
The Shinde faction is yet to be allotted a party symbol as the Election Commission has asked the party to provide three fresh options. Earlier, the gada (blunt mace) and the trishul (trident), proposed by both the factions, were rejected by the poll body as they were religious symbols.
The Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena had given a list of three names and symbols. ‘Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray’ was the first choice, ‘Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’ was the second pick, while ‘Shiv Sena Balasaheb Prabodhankar Thackeray’ was the third, sources in the Election Commission said.
Mr Thackeray had challenged the Election Commission’s freeze on the Shiv Sena symbol and name in the middle of a tussle between rival factions over which is the “real” Shiv Sena.
The former Maharashtra Chief Minister had approached the Delhi High Court against Saturday’s order, alleging that the party’s name and symbol were frozen without a hearing, which he said went “against principles of natural justice”.
The ECI had asked team Thackeray and the rival Shinde faction to choose new names and symbols for the November 3 byelection in Mumbai’s Andheri East constituency.
The Sena versus Sena saga started in June when Mr Shinde led 48 MLAs in a BJP-backed coup against his boss Mr Thackeray, bringing down his coalition government. Mr Shinde then formed a new government with the BJP.
Since then, both factions have laid claim to the party’s name. Mr Shinde, who has the support of a majority of party MLAs and MPs, told the Election Commission he had a stronger claim to the party founded by Mr Thackeray’s father Bal Thackeray.
The election body had asked the rivals to submit documentary proof by August 8 to back their claims. The deadline was extended to October 7 on request from the Thackeray faction. On October 4, team Shinde requested the election body to allot the party’s original bow-and-arrow poll symbol for the assembly byelection.
