Huge blow to Uddhav Thackeray as EC gives Shiv Sena name and poll symbol to Eknath Shinde faction

"I want to thank the Election Commission. This is Balasaheb's legacy's triumph. Ours is the real Shiv Sena. We formed the Maharashtra government (with the BJP) last year with Bala saheb's thoughts in mind," said Eknath Shinde.

In a major setback for Uddhav Thackeray, the Election Commission recognised the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena on Friday and ordered the allocation of the 'bow and arrow' poll symbol to them.

In a 78-page order on the protracted battle for control of the organisation, the Commission allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to keep the 'flaming torch' poll symbol assigned to it until the completion of the state assembly bypolls. 

The Commission said that the MLAs who supported Eknath Shinde received nearly 76 per cent of the votes cast in support of the 55 Shiv Sena candidates who won in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

The MLAs from the Uddhav Thackeray faction received 23.5 per cent of the votes cast in favour of the winning Shiv Sena candidates, said the three-member Commission in its unanimous order.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described the Election Commission's decision to recognise his faction as the true Shiv Sena as a victory for Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology.

In response to the poll panel's decision, Eknath Shinde said, "I want to thank the Election Commission. This is Balasaheb's legacy's triumph. Ours is the real Shiv Sena." "We formed the Maharashtra government (with the BJP) last year with Balasaheb's thoughts in mind," Shinde added. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, "Such a decision was expected; don't have faith in the Election Commission." His party plans to 'go to the people,' he added. According to Raut, the poll panel's decision was predictable, and he did not have faith in ECI.

Sanjay Raut tweeted, "Election Commission of India's decision to recognise the Eknath Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena was a 'murder of democracy."  Sources said the former Chief Minister's camp plans to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.

The Election Commission has approved Eknath Shinde's claim to the Shiv Sena's name and bow-and-arrow symbol nearly eight months after his coup in Maharashtra.

Following his rebellion in June, Shinde walked away with most of the party's lawmakers with the help of the BJP, triggering the eventual ouster of Uddhav Thackeray's state government; the two sides have been fighting for the party's identity.

Later, the Election Commission froze the Shiv Sena's bow-and-arrow symbol and gave the 'Two Swords and Shield' symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction, who is now Maharashtra Chief Minister, and the 'Flame Torch' symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray camp.