The Election Commission of India on Saturday passed an interim order directing that both Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions shall not use the name “Shiv Sena” or the symbol “bow and arrow” in the Andheri East bypolls till the matter is finally decided.
The election commission said both fractions shall also be allotted different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the panel for the purposes of the current by-elections. “Accordingly, both groups are hereby directed to furnish, latest by 1pm on October 10,” the order stated.
On Friday, the election commission asked the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena to respond by Saturday on rival Shinde group’s claim on the party’s “bow and arrow” election symbol in view of the upcoming assembly bypoll in the state.
The commission’s directive came on Friday after the Shinde faction submitted a memorandum seeking it be allocated the symbol as the Andheri East assembly bypoll is approaching.
In a letter to Thackeray, the commission directed it to furnish comments along with requisite documents latest by 2pm on October 8.
The commission told Thackeray the Shinde faction had staked claim to the bow and arrow on October 4. The Andheri East bypoll was notified on Friday.
Shiv Sena leader Anil Desai, who belongs to the Thackeray faction, said the party would respond to the commission within the stipulated time.
The fresh claim to the bow and arrow election symbol by the Shinde faction is seen as an attempt to deny its use by the Thackeray group which has decided to field Rutuja Latke, the widow of MLA Ramesh Latke, for the November 3 bypoll.
The BJP, an ally of the Shinde faction, has decided to field Murji Patel, a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, for the bypoll necessitated due to the death of Ramesh Latke.
The Congress and the NCP have decided to support the candidate of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, their coalition partner in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Shinde had raised a banner of revolt against Thackeray for entering into an “unnatural alliance” with the Congress and NCP. Over 40 of the Shiv Sena’s 55 MLAs had supported Shinde, forcing the resignation of Thackeray from the post of Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Twelve of the 18 Lok Sabha members of the Shiv Sena also came out in support of Shinde, who later claimed to be the leader of the original Shiv Sena.
The Andheri East bypoll is the first after Shinde and the BJP unseated the MVA government in June, and is considered by political analysts as a precursor to settling of claims by Shinde and Thackeray to be the “real Shiv Sena”.
