The Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday submitted a list of three symbols to the Election Commission for the upcoming Andheri East bypoll in Mumbai. The three choices made by the Shinde camp are ‘rising sun’, ‘trident’ and ‘mace’, two of which are apparently clashing with the list of three symbols submitted by the other Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray. The ‘rising sun’ and ‘trident’ symbols feature in the other side’s list as well.
Team Shinde made its three choices for the party symbol — ‘rising sun’, ‘trident’ and ‘mace’ — and submitted them to the poll panel, as per a report by Hindustan Times. Once the symbols are submitted, the poll panel will have to examine if they are the same or if they are not being used by any other party.
The EC will also examine whether the symbols submitted are not already frozen. Sources in the EC confirmed that choices for poll symbol and party names of both factions have formally been sent to the election body.
On Saturday, the poll body barred both Sena factions from using the party name and its election symbol — ‘bow and arrow’ — in the upcoming bypoll scheduled for November 3.
The Thackeray camp submitted its list to the EC on Sunday, which features ‘rising sun’, ‘trident’ and ‘burning torch’, as well as a list of party names requesting the EC to finalise both without delay ahead of the bypoll. It is also known to have submitted three party names for approval – “Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sena Balasaheb Prabodhankar Thackeray, and Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray”.
In an interim order over the claims by rival factions for control of the organisation, the EC asked them to suggest by Monday three different name choices and also as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups.
The Thackeray faction is contesting the bypoll. The BJP, an ally of the Shinde group, has also decided to contest the bypoll. As October 14 is the last date of filing papers, the EC decision on the alternative symbols and names of the two factions is likely to be made soon.
(With PTI inputs)
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