New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has recognised Eknath Shinde’s faction as the “real” Shiv Sena, nearly eight months after his rebellion split the parent party into two factions.
The poll body has also announced that Shinde’s team will get the ‘bow-and-arrow’ symbol, the original party symbol. After the coup, the poll body had frozen the bow-and-arrow symbol and allotted the ‘two swords and shield’ symbol to the Shinde, and the ‘flaming torch’ symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray camp. The two factions had staked claim to both the party symbol and the party name and knocked on the doors of courts and the poll body.
According to NDTV, the election commission, in a 78-page order, delved into the protracted battle between two factions and said Shinde’s faction is supported by MLAs with 76% of the party’s winning votes in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Jubilant over the poll body’s decision, Shinde declared it as the “victory” of Sena’s founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. “I thank the Election Commission. The majority counts in democracy. This is the victory of [Shiv Sena founder] Balasaheb [Thackeray]’s legacy. Ours is the true Shiv Sena,” The Hindu quoted Shinde as saying.
Soon after the poll body’s decision, Uddhav Thackeray in a press conference described it as the “murder of democracy”. “They (Shinde’s faction) have stolen the Shiv Sena symbol. We will keep fighting and won’t lose hope. For now, let Shinde be happy with his theft. Once a traitor, always a traitor,” Thackeray said.
Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP from Thackeray’s team, told NDTV that “such a decision was expected. We don’t have faith in the Election Commission”. Citing sources, the news channel also said that Thackeray’s faction would challenge the poll body’s decision in the Supreme Court.
Sheetal Mhatre, a spokesperson of the Shinde faction, said that the decision was taken entirely on “merit”. “Now that the symbol and numbers are with the Shinde faction, the party is hopeful that more people (MLAs) will join soon,” Mhatre added.
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) described the development as “dangerous”. “The recognition of the Eknath Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena will prove dangerous to the election process in our country in the times to come. What has happened with the original Shiv Sena today can happen to any political party, including the BJP, ” NCP spokesperson Clyde Castro said. The NCP was part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Uddhav Thackeray before it fell, following the rebellion by Shinde.
In June 2022, Shinde walked out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with 40 MLAs in a high-voltage revolt. The Shinde faction had claimed the support of 40 of the Sena’s 56 MLAs and 13 of its 18 members in the Lok Sabha. He eventually went on to form an alliance government with the support of the BJP.
Since the coup, Thackeray and Shinde factions have locked horns over the party name and the symbol.