Maharashtra Politics: Thackeray camp proposes “Trishul,” “mashaal,” or “rising sun” as the party symbols

This comes a day after the Election Commission (EC) temporarily banned rival groups led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde from using the Shiv Sena name or the “bow and arrow” election symbol.

“The C will now decide and allot the symbol,” said Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) MP Arvind Sawant.

The poll panel had given the Uddhav and Shinde group time till October 10 to each give three options for poll symbol and three options for a new name that will be used in the upcoming East Andheri bypoll on November 3.

The East Andheri byelection is scheduled for November 3, and the poll panel had given the Uddhav and Shinde group time till October 10 to submit three proposals each for the poll symbol and for a new name.

The bypoll to Andheri East Assembly seat in suburban Mumbai has been necessitated due to the death of incumbent Sena MLA Ramesh Latke.

The Congress and the NCP have decided to support Ramesh Latke’s wife Rujuta Latke, the candidate of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, their coalition partner in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally of the Shinde faction, has decided to field Murji Patel, a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

“Our party’s name is Shiv Sena, if EC gives any of the names related to Shiv Sena including ‘Shiv Sena (Balasaheb Thackeray)’, ‘Shiv Sena (Prabodhankar Thackeray)’ or ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’, that would be acceptable to us,” Sawant said.

According to sources, “Shiv Sena (Balasaheb Thackeray)” is the preferred name, with “Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)” coming in second. Trishul (the trident) was requested as the primary symbol, followed by the rising sun and “mashaal” as the third choice.

Following a disagreement between the warring factions, one led by Uddhav Thackeray and the other by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, the Election Commission (EC) on Saturday temporarily suspended the Shiv Sena name and its “bow and arrow” symbol.

The directive came four months after Eknath Shinde and his supporters openly rebelled against the Shiv Sena, joining forces with the BJP to create a new government with Shinde as the chief minister.

The new CM immediately began a campaign to reclaim Bal Thackeray’s heritage, the name of the party, and its electoral symbol.

The EC interim order was passed while considering a petition filed by Shinde for official recognition of his faction as the official Shiv Sena under the Election Symbols Order, 1968.

On September 27, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had rejected a plea made by the

Uddhav group seeking a stay on the proceedings before the C initiated by Shinde.

Inputs from Agencies