Eknath Shinde to hold Shiv Sena's first National Executive meeting today after EC's decision

synopsis

After being granted the Shiv Sena name and 'bow and arrow' symbol by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Eknath Shinde-led Sena faction will have its first National Executive meeting on Tuesday, February 21. Maharashtra Minister for School Education and Marathi Language, Deepak Kesarkar, said, "Some new office bearers may be elected or appointed today in the meeting."

Also, team Uddhav Thackeray will hold a meeting of his party officials today to discuss further plans, four days after losing the Shiv Sena name and the bow-and-arrow party symbol to the Bharatiya Janata Party-backed Chief Minister's faction.

Today, Thackeray will also request the Supreme Court to overturn the Election Commission's decision to give Eknath Shinde faction the party name and symbol.

Thackeray, who owns the new name 'Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' and the symbol of the 'flaming torch' for the time being, is anticipated to appoint new local leaders at the national executive meeting of his Sena faction this evening, said sources. 

Today's meeting of the Thackeray faction is crucial as he needs to show his strength and support after Shinde's faction took away many Sena MLAs and sided with the BJP.

On February 17, the poll panel recognised the Eknath Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered that the bow and arrow election symbol of the late Balasaheb Thackeray be assigned to them. The Commission allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to keep the flaming torch poll symbol allotted to it in its 78-page order on the protracted battle for control of the organisation until the completion of the assembly by-polls in the state. 

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) described the Election Commission's decision to allow the 'Shiv Sena' and the 'bow and arrow' symbol to the camp led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as a 'property deal' on Monday, February 20. 

The Supreme Court has yet to rule on another judgement made by Team Thackeray last year to disqualify 16 Sena MLAs who were part of the revolt against him in June 2022.