The Election Commission has allotted 'Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)' as the party name to the Udhhav Thackeray faction and the ‘flaming torch’ as their election symbol ahead of next month's bypoll in Andheri East constituency.
The Election Commission also allotted the name 'Balasahebanchi ShivSena' to the Eknath Shinde faction and ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)' to the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray ahead of next month's bypoll in Andheri East constituency.
The election commission also declined to allot 'Trishul', 'Rising Sun' and 'Gada' as symbols as they are "not in the list of free symbols" and also cited religious connotations for rejecting them. Meanwhile, the poll panel has also asked the Eknath Shinde faction to furnish a list of three fresh symbols by tomorrow, 11 October.
The Election Commission had on Saturday frozen the "bow and arrow" symbol of Shiv Sena, barring both the rival camps from using it in the bye-election amid a tussle between the factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde.
Both groups had submitted the names of their groups by which they may be recognized by the commission. Both groups were also given choices for the symbols which may be allotted to the candidates for the bye-election.
Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray faction said it was happy with the new name that has been allotted to it.
"We are happy that the three names that matter to us most – Uddhav ji, Balasaheb and Thackeray - are retained in the new name," Uddhav Thackeray loyalist and former Maharashtra minister Bhaskar Jadhav said.
Eknath Shinde loyalist Bharat Gogawale said they always wanted the name of Balasaheb in their party name. “Our faction will no longer be called Shinde camp but ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’," he said.
