Thackeray faction submits symbol options after Election Commission (EC) freezes Shiv Sena's 'bow and arrow' symbol

MUMBAI: The Uddhav Thackeray camp of Shiv Sena submitted a list of three names and symbols for the upcoming Andheri East Assembly constituency bypolls to the Election Commission.

Amid a row over Shiv Sena's 'Bow and Arrow' symbol claim, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday froze the symbol barring both the rival camps in the party from using it in the upcoming Assembly bypoll slated for November 3. Following this, the Thackeray faction on Sunday submitted the options of 'Trishul', 'Rising Sun' and 'Torch' as symbols for the party to the Election Commission. Further, the Thackeray camp suggested three names – Shiv Sena (Balasaheb Thackeray), Shiv Sena (Prabodhankar Thackeray) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) for the upcoming bye-elections.

"Our party's name is Shiv Sena, if ECI 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," Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) MP Arvind Sawant told media persons.

Meanwhile, the Shinde faction hit out at the rival Thackeray camp, saying it would not get any votes and was busy seeking public sympathy.

Minister in Chief Minister Shinde's cabinet Deepak Kesarkar said, "They (Uddhav faction) have not done anything in the past 2.5 years. People would not vote for them, thus they are seeking sympathy. ECI is a constitutional authority, we should keep its respect, not insult them over Twitter."

"We have all the documents and we have a majority. We will get justice and the symbol as well," added Kesarkar.

Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday called Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led-faction Shiv Sena as "traitors" after the Election Commission (EC) froze the symbol barring both the rival camps in the party from using it in the upcoming Assembly bypoll slated for November 3.

Notably, EC passed the interim order saying that in the Andheri East bye-polls, neither of the two groups shall be permitted to use the symbol 'Bow and Arrow', reserved for 'Shiv Sena'. The Commission's ruling came amid the ongoing symbol war between the Uddhav Thackeray camp and rival Eknath Shinde camp. Eknath Shinde took oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on June 30 earlier this year. This came after a faction of Shiv Sena under Shinde shifted the alliance to Bharatiya Janata Party BJP from MVA. Since then, Maharashtra has been witnessing a tussle between both the factions of Sena as to who is the real inheritor of the legacy of Bal Thackeray. (ANI)

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