Election Commission allots 'Shield and Sword' to Eknath Shinde led-Sena as new poll symbol
The EC announced that the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction would be known as 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena' (Balasaheb's Shiv Sena) for the November 3 Andheri East bypoll, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp would be known as 'Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray.
FollowThe Election Commission (EC) allotted the 'shield and sword' poll symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction on Tuesday, a day after the poll panel asked the camp to submit new symbols.
Earlier in the day, the Shinde faction emailed new symbols to the Election Commission. Among the symbols were a conch, an auto-rickshaw, a man blowing a trumpet, the Sun, a shield and a sword, and a peepal tree.
For the November 3 Andheri East bypoll, the EC announced that the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction would be known as 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena' (Balasaheb's Shiv Sena), while the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp will be known as 'Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. The poll symbol for the Uddhav faction is a "flaming torch" (Mashaal).
On Monday, the EC refused to grant the 'Trishul,' 'rising Sun,' and 'Gada' symbols to either faction as they are "not on the list of free symbols" and asked the Shinde camp to submit three new symbols by today. Team Shinde had previously proposed 'rising sun' and 'trident' as poll symbols and 'mace' (Gada).
The EC barred both Shiv Sena factions from using the party name and election symbol in the Andheri East assembly bypoll on November 3. In an interim order regarding the rival factions' claims to control the organisation, the Commission asked them to submit three different name options and as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups by Monday.
The Sena-Sena feud began in June when Shinde raised a revolt banner against Uddhav, accusing him of forming an "unnatural alliance" with the Congress and NCP by compromising on Bal Thackeray's ideologies. Over 40 of the Shiv Sena's 55 MLAs backed Shinde, pushing Uddhav Thackeray to resign.
The by-poll in Andheri East is the first since Shinde and the BJP ousted the MVA government.
Also Read: We'll take 'Mashaal' with pride to every home: Aaditya Thackeray on new election symbol by EC
Also Read: Uddhav Thackeray's Sena gets new name and symbol, Shinde faction asked to submit afresh
