on Sunday submitted to the Election Commission (EC) its three options of a trident, rising sun or mashaal for its poll symbol.
The EC had on Saturday barred the Shiv Sena factions led by former chief minister
and present Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol ‘bow & arrow’ in the Andheri East Assembly bypoll scheduled on November 3.
In an interim order over claims by the rival factions for control of the organisation, the commission asked them to suggest by Monday three different name choices and also as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups.
Shiv Sena sends options for poll symbols and names
“The EC will now decide and allot the symbol,” said Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) MP Arvind Sawant. It has asked for Trishul (trident) as its first choice of symbol, ‘rising sun’ as the second option, and ‘mashaal’ as the third.
“Our party’s name is Shiv Sena, if EC gives any of the names related to Shiv Sena including ‘Shiv Sena (Balasaheb Thackeray)’, ‘Shiv Sena (Prabodhankar Thackeray)’ or ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’, that would be acceptable to us,” Sawant added.
Sources said ‘Shiv Sena (Balasaheb Thackeray)’ is the first choice for the name and ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’ is the second pick.
Shinde camp will succeed, says Fadnavis
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the Shiv Sena faction led by CM Eknath Shinde will “succeed” when the EC takes a final decision on proprietary over the party name and election symbol.
“I think when the ECI takes the final decision on the claims made by CM Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray on proprietary over the Shiv Sena name and symbol, CM Shinde will succeed,” he added.
Kesarkar hits out at Thackeray camp
Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar on Sunday hit out at the Thackeray camp, saying they were ready with alternate symbols when the ECI froze the original party symbol. “It seems they (Thackeray camp) have no affection for the bow and arrow symbol,” he said.
“We have the majority as maximum MLAs and MPs are with the camp led by CM Shinde. Still, the ECI has frozen the symbol, but we will continue our battle … We have not even filed our affidavit before the ECI, because the majority has been with us. We may file it tomorrow,” he added.
EC decision surprising: NCP
The Nationalist Congress Party on Sunday said the Election Commission’s order on the use of the Shiv Sena party name and election symbol in an upcoming Assembly bypoll was surprising, but it did not mean the Uddhav Thackeray-led group was weak or demoralised.
NCP’s chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said the Election Commission of India’s decision to freeze the Shiv Sena symbol and party name is surprising and painful. But, it is not the final decision of the Commission.
“The Eknath Shinde-led (Sena) camp is not even contesting the by-election, still the use of the party name and symbol was restricted. The freezing of the symbol does not mean the (Thackeray-led) Sena workers have become weak or are demoralised. The Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) along with the NCP and Congress will give a tough fight to the BJP,” he said.
“This election will be a one-on-one contest as the BJP has fielded its candidate against the Uddhav Thackeray camp’s nominee,” he said.
Mumbai police lodge case
The Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against unidentified persons on charges of cheating and forgery after recovering more than 4,500 affidavits being prepared in support of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, an official said on Sunday.
Former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske, spokesperson of the Shinde faction, claimed the Mumbai Police have found 4,682 “fake” affidavits and registered a criminal case against unidentified persons based on a complaint.
He thanked the police and criticised the Thackeray-led faction over the alleged malpractice for the submission of affidavits before the Election Commission, in the wake of a dispute with the Shinde faction over the party’s poll symbol.
According to a police official, the case was registered at Nirmal Nagar police station on Saturday under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating) and 465 (forgery) after they recovered the affidavits from a notary wherein important details like Aadhaar cards of the Shiv Sena supporters were attached.
Aaditya Thackeray blames ‘traitors’ for EC order
“Khokewale” traitors committed this “shameless and vile act of freezing the name Shiv Sena and symbol”, he tweeted, adding that the people of Maharashtra would not tolerate it. “We will fight and win. We are on the side of the truth. Satyamev Jayate!” he said in the Marathi tweet.
The Congress and the NCP have decided to support Ramesh Latke’s wife Rujuta Latke, the candidate of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, their coalition partner in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally of the Shinde faction, has decided to field Murji Patel, a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
(With inputs from agencies)