Sena vs Sena symbol row: Thackeray faction responds to ECI; 2.5 lakh affidavits being prepared

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has filed its reply to the ECI letter seeking its response over the claim by rival Eknath Shinde faction on the party's 'bow and arrow' symbol in view of the upcoming assembly by-poll in Maharashtra.

New Delhi: The Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray Saturday filed its reply to the Election Commission of India over the claim by rival Eknath Shinde faction on the party's 'bow and arrow' symbol in view of the upcoming assembly by-poll in Maharashtra.

"Yesterday we filed our preliminary reply and today also we filed a reply. We've submitted affidavits of our national executives and 2.5 lakh plus affidavits will be submitted within due course," Advocate S Jain, representing Uddhav Thackeray faction told the media on Saturday.

The advocate said that 10-15 lakh primary membership forms will also be submitted. "We have sought four weeks' tome for submitting the affidavits and other things," Advocate Jain said. Meanwhile, sources in the Election Commission confirmed receiving in time the Thackeray group's response.

On Friday, the Election Commission had written to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray seeking his response over the claim by the Shinde faction. In its letter to Uddhav Thackeray, EC said the Commission had on September 29 requested Thackeray to furnish written submissions along with the respective documents to support his claim by October 7, 2022.

Also read: After court battle, Shinde faction and Shiv Sena to square off in first electoral contest in Mumbai's Andheri (East)

The EC informed that Shinde has furnished an application on October 4 under Paragraph 18 of Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 to allot the symbol of the party "bow and Arrow" to the group led by Shinde in view of the ongoing bye-election from 166-Andheri East Assembly Constituency.

The Thackeray faction’s reply to the petition filed by Shinde camp was that since the latter and his 39 other rebel MLAs voluntarily quit the party, they cannot stake a claim on the 'bow and arrow' symbol.

"CM Eknath Shinde wrote a letter to the ECI for getting the "bow and arrow". The decision is pending in front of the Supreme Court and ECI. The faction left the party because someone told them to, but it doesn't mean that the party is over. They are just a group and not a party, so they don't have any rights over the symbol. We are the party for the last 56 years and Uddhav Thackeray is our Party Chief, who is leading us for many years," Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said on Friday.