Shiv Sena: One’s Legacy Needs To Be Verified Now

A Political Battle That Shattered Many Houses

Former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena Supremo Uddhav Thackeray addresses the Dussehra rally at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, Dadar.

While virtually addressing, just a day after the poll body froze Shiv Sena’s ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol, Uddhav Thackeray said it was “injustice”.

For the first time since the Election Commission of India (ECI) barred the Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol in the upcoming bypoll, the former chief minister on Sunday appealed to the poll panel to finalize one of the three symbols submitted by his group and the name without delay.

In a virtual address, Thackeray said the decision by the ECI was was “injustice” to his faction. Thackeray said his camp has submitted three names for approval to EC, namely “Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sena Balasaheb Prabodhankar Thackeray, and Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray”. Thackeray said his faction has also submitted to the panel three options- a rising sun, a burning torch (mashaal), and a trident- and expects it to allot one of them as the poll symbol.

Thackeray also came down heavily on Shinde’s camp and also took a barb at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“I appeal to the ECI to finalize a symbol and name for my party at the earliest because we have to go to the people and face the by-election. I was shocked by the decision of the ECI, but my confidence has not shattered and also my faith in my fellow Sena supporters,” Uddhav Thackeray said.

“Uddhav is nothing, it’s Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and this is what makes me important… I still remember Shiv Sena foundation day on June 19, 1966, when the Sena was formed at Shivaji Park… Balasaheb used to take up issues of Marathi Manoos through Marmik weekly.

Devendra Fadnavis, deputy chief minister said that the Shinde faction will “succeed” when the commission takes a final decision on proprietary over the party name and election symbol.

Fadnavis said he was not surprised at the ECI’s interim decision ahead of the bypoll to Andheri East Assembly seat in Mumbai scheduled on November 3. The panel has taken the decision as per its laid down procedure, the senior BJP leader said.

Parth Kakade