New Delhi: The Election Commission has allowed 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena' as the party name for Eknath Shinde faction and asked it to select a fresh symbol. The Commission commission also alloted 'Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' as the party name for Thackeray faction.
The EC however denied Trishul and Gada (mace) as poll symbols to rival Shiv Sena factions, citing religious connotations. It also alloted 'flaming torch' (mashaal) as an election symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena. "We are happy, consider this major victory," said Bhaskar Jadhav of Uddhav Thackeray group.
The developments came two days after the ECI froze the name of Shiv Sena and its iconic bow-and-arrow symbol ahead of the upcoming by-elections to the Andheri East constituency. Shiv Sena-UBT Deputy Leader Sushma Andheri has welcomed the EC's decision and said nobody needs an introduction to Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena now led by Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray.
South Mumbai MP of the Sena-UBT Arvind Sawant also hailed the move and said Uddhav Thackeray is "the face of the party", and accused the Shinde faction of "stealing everything, the party, is symbol, the Thackeray family name, etc.", but now the EC decision has cleared the air.
Other Shiv Sena-UBT leaders like Kishore Tiwari, Kishori Pednekar also gave a warm reception to the party's new credentials and a brand new symbol. The ECI rejected the symbols - trident and mace - demanded by the two factions on grounds that they had religious connotations. Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre said that these are stop-gap arrangements till the assembly elections and the Shinde group will get the original name and symbol later.
