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NATION OCTOBER 14, 2022 | The Indian Eye 6

BATTLE OF SYMBOLS:

Shinde faction of Shiv Sena happy

as Uddhav complains

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray being handed over the flaming torch (Mashaal), the new Supporters of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction hold Two Swords and Shield, the new party
party symbol allotted to the party by the Election Commission (EC) for contesting in the upcom- symbol allotted to the party by the Election Commission (EC) for contesting in the upcoming
ing Maharashtra by-elections, at his residence Matoshree, in Mumbai on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) Maharashtra by-elections, in Thane on Thursday. (ANI Photo)

OUR BUREAU Swords & Shield symbol’ is an identi- symbol and allots it as the symbol to Election Commission raising objec-
ty of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and be allotted to the candidate set up, tions to its recent decisions concern-
Mumbai/New Delhi
people know about it. Balasaheb’s if any, by your group in the current ing the two factions ahead of next
he Election Commission of Shiv Sainiks are happy today. We will bye-elections and till the final order is month’s bypoll in East Andheri seat.
India (ECI) on Tuesday allot- contest the election on this symbol passed in the Dispute case number I In a letter, Thackeray’s lawyer
Tted the ‘two swords and shield and we will win,” Shinde said. of 2022,” the EC added in a letter to said that several communications and
symbol’ to the Eknath Shinde faction The Shinde faction had submit- Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath actions of ECI have given a rise to a
of Shiv Sena and allotted ‘Balasahe- ted ‘shining sun’, ‘shield and sword’ Shinde. “serious apprehension of bias in the
banchi Shiv Sena’ (Balasaheb’s Shiv and ‘Peepal tree’ as its election sym- Whereas the ‘flaming torch’ mind of the respondent” (Uddhav
Sena) as its name ahead of the bypoll. bol options to the Election Commis- (mashaal) election symbol was allotted Thackeray faction). Eknath Shinde
The faction led by Uddhav Thackeray sion (EC) for the upcoming bypoll in to the Uddhav Thackeray faction of had taken oath as Chief Minister ear-
was allotted ‘flaming torch’ (mashaal) Andheri East assembly constituency lier this year following a split in Shiv
election symbol and name of ‘ShivSe- next month. Shiv Sena, rejecting their claim to the Sena. The two groups are contesting
na - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’ However, the EC said that the ‘Trishul’ citing religious connotation. over “bow and arrow” symbol of Shiv
The poll panel had earlier barred symbols furnished by the Shinde fac- The Election Commission also Sena which has been frozen by the
the rival groups from using the sym- tion are not from the list of free sym- allotted ‘ShivSena - Uddhav Balasa- Election Commission ahead of the
bol “bow and arrow”. bols as notified in the Commission. heb Thackeray’ as the party name for East Andheri and has given them new
Maharashtra Chief Minister Giving the reason for not allot- the Thackeray faction. names and new symbols.
Eknath Shinde on Tuesday exuded ting Sun/Surya/Sooraj as a symbol, Meanwhile, the ECI rejected ‘Tr- The letter by the Uddhav Thac-
confidence in winning the upcom- the Election Commission said, “The ishul’ and ‘Gada’ (mace) as election keray faction raised objection against
ing Andheri East Assembly bypolls Name of the symbol resembles with symbols claimed by the two factions recent decisions in the matter of allot-
with the new ‘Two Swords & Shield already reserved symbols ‘Sun (with- of the Shiv Sena, citing their religious ment of interim election symbol and
symbol’ approved by the Election out rays)’ and ‘Rising Sun’ of recog- connotation. name to the party.
Commission, and said that Balasaheb nized Political Parties namely ‘Zoram The poll panel had earlier barred “The respondent’s apprehension
Thackeray’s Shiv Sainiks are “happy”. Nationalist Party’ (recognized party the rival groups led by former Maha- was confirmed when he came to know
The remarks of the Chief Minis- in the state of Mizoram) and ‘Dravi- rashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thac- that the petitioner had also very tell-
ter came after ECI on Tuesday allot- da Munnetra Kazhagam’ (recognized keray and Chief Minster Eknath Shin- ingly given the same first choice of
ted the ‘Two Swords and Shield sym- party in the state of Tamil Nadu and de from using the symbol “Bow and name, and the same first and second
bol’ to the Eknath Shinde faction of Union Territory of Puducherry) re- Arrow”, reserved for Shiv Sena, in the choice of symbol as the respondent,
Shiv Sena a day after the group was spectively.” upcoming Andheri East bye-election thus, effectively precluding the re-
allotted ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’ “The Commission has decided on November 3. spondent from being allotted his first
(Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena) as the name to declare Do Talwarein aur Ek Dhal Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav choice of name and the first and sec-
for the group of the party. “This ‘Two (Two Swords & Shield)’ to be a free Thackeray on Thursday wrote to the ond choice of symbol.

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