Priyanka Singh
Published on: October 9, 2022 at 18:36 IST
The Election Commission passed an interim order on Saturday barring both the Shiv Sena contingents of Uddhav Thackarey and Eknath Shinde from using the party’s name and symbol in the Andheri East assembly poll.
The EC’s order stated, “Both groups shall also be allotted such different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Election Commission for the purposes of the current bye-elections.”
The EC is being headed by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar.
The Commission directed the groups to choose the names and symbols for their factions that may be allotted to them, up to 01.00 p.m., 10th October.
The interim order was antedated by Shinde’s request for the allocation of symbol for their group viewing the upcoming Andheri East assembly bypoll.
The Shiv Sena led by Thackarey held the EC’s order as ‘unjust’ and Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, owing allegiance to the Thackarey faction quoted, “The poll body should have taken a decision in a holistic manner rather than passing an interim decision for the bypoll….This is injustice.”
In furtherance to EC’s order, Member of Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra and son of Uddhav Thackarey, Aditya Thackarey tweeted expressing displeasure that, “Boxed traitors today have done a despicable and shameless act of freezing Shiv Sena name and symbol. The people of Maharashtra will not tolerate this. Will fight and win! We are on the side of truth! Satyamev Jayate.”
Post the June split of the party, the rival group had approached the EC claiming to be the ‘Real Shiv Sena’, while the Commission had previously asked the rival groups for the submission of documentary proof on legislative and organizational support to uphold their claims by 8th August, which was extended to 7th October in response to the request by the Thackareys.
The Shinde group sought the allocation of the bow and arrow symbol on 4th October, approaching the EC, in haste of the approaching elections on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Thackarey group bought some more time to understand the contentions and submissions by the rival group. The Commission stressed the importance of the schedule of the bye-elections notified on October 3rd and the statutory spaces created therefore.
For fairness and just commission of the elections, the EC suspended the use of the symbol and name of Shiv Sena “till the final determination of the dispute.”
Ally of the Shinde group, the Bharatiya Janta Party, has selected Murji Patel, a corporator in Mumbai’s BMC, for the bypoll after the death of late MLA Ramesh Latke.
On the other hand, the Congress and the NCP supports their coalition partner in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Thackarey group.
