The Election Commission in a controversial interim order has frozen the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena thereby compelling both the factions to seek alternative symbol and name for the time being. Former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has described the order as “injustice’’ and many of his other followers said that the EC had tried to favour the Eknath Shinde faction. The interim order essentially pertains to the Andheri East by-election which is being fought by the Uddhav Thackeray group and the BJP. The Shinde faction is an ally of the BJP and would be supporting its candidate who is in the fray on the Lotus symbol. Thereby this ruling would impact the Uddhav faction. The ECI shall be giving its final verdict later and in the meanwhile the former Chief Minister has asked the Commission to allot the name of Balasaheb Thackeray Shiv Sena to it. The EC shall also provide an option of choosing an alternative symbol for the Andheri East by-poll. Maharashtra Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, who has the support of the majority of elected MLAs has demanded that the Bow and Arrow symbol be allotted to his faction. However, Udhav Balasaheb Thackeray, on the other hand has claimed that majority of the party’s cadres were with him and so the symbol had to be with him. He has accused Eknath Shinde of trying to cut short the processes by making attempts to influence the Election Commission. The two factions had held separate rallies on the Vijay Dashmi day in what was interpreted in the State’s political circles as a show of strength. The Chief Minister and his supporters mobilized their supporters to bring in huge crowds. The Uddhav Thackeray group held their mammoth meeting at the traditional Shivaji Park in Mumbai, where the first Shiv Sena rally was organised more than 55 years ago by the Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. The test of real strength is also evincing keen interest and it is felt that the Andheri East by-polls and the Bombay Municipal Corporation elections would have a great bearing on the future of Maharashtra politics. Eknath Shinde being in the government along with the BJP is flexing his muscles and shall not allow his rival faction to have a cakewalk victory. In fact, the two would be in a very keenly fought election this year itself. While the significance of the symbol is important, in this day and age when the social media is extremely pro-active, it shall not be a difficult task to spread the information regarding a new symbol, if it gets allotted to either faction by the Election Commission. It is also likely that the Election Commission decision would be challenged in the Apex court and there is every possibility that the Bow and Arrow symbol could be permanently frozen in the process. There have been several instances in the past where the Symbol fight has resulted in a bitter war amongst the involved parties. One may recall that way back in 1969 when the Congress split following Indira Gandhi’s serious differences with many of her senior colleagues, the Congress (Requisitionists), her faction, opted for a new symbol after the original Congress symbol of Two Bullocks and a plough was frozen. The Congress (organization) settled for a new symbol as well, A woman weaving on a Charkha. The Congress was allotted the Cow and Calf symbol. It was on this symbol, she swept the 1971 Lok Sabha polls after giving a clarion call for Garibi Hatao, a slogan coined by former Delhi College lecturer and later Metropolitan Councillor, Ashok Chatterjee. The full form of the slogan was “Woh Kehte Hain Indira Hatao, Mein Kehti Hoon ke Garibi Hatao’’. She again emerged victorious in the 1972 Assembly elections. In the Congress, the second split took place in 1978 and the Indira Gandhi faction was allotted the Hand symbol. This was facilitated by another Delhi Congressman and former AICC member, Bansi Lal Mehta, who used his personal friendship with the then Chief Election Commissioner, S.L. Shakdhar to obtain the Hand symbol. The first election won by the Congress on the Hand symbol was in a municipal ward of East Delhi. However, on the national scene, Mohsina Kidwai emerged victorious from Azamgarh subsequently on the same symbol to enter the Lok Sabha in a by-election. There are multiple instances of the internal fights over the symbols by warring factions. When the CPI split in the 1960s, the CPI (M) opted for a new symbol, Sickle and Hammer with a Star. The Shiv Sena symbol case would be closely watched by the party’s supporters, cadres and all those interested in politics.
Pankaj Vohra