The election commission has allotted the ‘two swords and a shield’ poll symbol to the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, the Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Ekanth Shinde.
Shinde’s faction on Tuesday had submitted a fresh set of symbols to the EC-peepal tree, sword, and sun. Earlier, the group had given the trishul, rising sun, and gada (mace) as poll symbol choices, but two of them were rejected for having religious connotations, and the rising sun was reserved for Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party.
Shinde’s rival, Uddhav Thackeray, was allotted the name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the flaming torch symbol by the EC. Earlier, the EC had frozen the name Shiv Sena and its bow and arrow symbol. Thackeray had slammed EC and Shinde’s faction with the BJP, terming the decision as ‘injustice’ injustice ‘towards his party.
In a Facebook live, Thackeray said, “I did not expect this decision from the Election Commission. I believe in the judiciary. We will get justice. The 40-headed Ravana froze the bow of Lord Sri Ram. I am sad but angry because you stabbed your mother in the chest. Do not use Balasaheb’s name if you have guts.”
Both the factions have been campaigning aggressively for the upcoming polls in Andheri (East). Both held mega rallies on Dussehra. With Thackeray speaking at the iconic Shivaji park and Shinde at Bandra Kurla Complex, While Thaceray branded the rebels as ‘traitors’, Shinde said that it was a ‘revolt’. Both the parties claim to be the real Shiv Sena.