Uddhav Thackeray's faction writes to EC on party symbol, name, alleges bias: All you need to know
Earlier on Monday, the EC allotted a new election symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction – a 'flaming torch' (mashaal) in the current bye-election and till the final order is passed in the current dispute between the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions.
FollowDays after the Election Commission of India cleared a new poll symbol and name of Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray faction reportedly wrote to the poll body, alleging "bias, favouritism and foul play" while distributing the party symbols.
The Uddhav faction has locked horns with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's camp after his party revolt against the former Maharashtra CM had split the Shiv Sena. The allocation of poll symbols came days after the EC had frozen the Shiv Sena poll symbol ahead of the key bypolls in Mumbai's Andheri.
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"Several communications and actions of the ECI have given rise to a serious apprehension of bias in the mind of the respondent (Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray)," the letter read.
Earlier on Monday, the EC allotted a new election symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction – a 'flaming torch' (mashaal) in the current bye-election and till the final order is passed in the current dispute between the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions.
The EC has also allotted "Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray" as the party name for the Uddhav Thackeray faction.
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Reacting to the new party symbol and name, a leader from Uddhav Thackeray's faction had said it was a major victory for his faction.
"We are happy, consider this major victory. We are happy that the three names that matter to us most – Uddhav ji, Balasaheb and Thackeray - are retained in the new name," said Bhaskar Jadhav after the allotment of the new name.
On Saturday, the EC froze 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.
