EC freezes Shiv Sena’s ‘bow & arrow’ symbol

New Delhi, October 8

Amid the ongoing factional feud between the Uddhav Thackeray-led camp and the Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde group, the Election Commission today froze the Shiv Sena’s poll symbol, “bow & arrow”.

In an interim order on the issue, the EC said, “The commission hereby makes the following interim order to cover the purpose of the current bypolls and to continue till the final destination of the dispute in the matter.”

The poll panel said neither of the two groups, one led by Shinde and the other by Thackeray, be permitted to use the name “Shiv Sena” and neither of the two groups shall also be permitted to use the symbol “bow & arrow”, reserved for “Shiv Sena”.

“Both groups shall be known by such names as they may choose for their respective groups, including, if they so desire, linkage with their parent party “Shiv Sena”; and both groups shall also be allotted such different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Election Commission for the purposes of the current byelections,” the EC said.

The commission asked both groups to furnish, latest by 1 pm on October 10, the names of their groups by which they may be recognised by the commission and to this end, give three options in order of preference, anyone of which may be approved by the commission.

They have also been asked to furnish choices of symbols which may be allotted to the candidates. “They may indicate the names of three free symbols, in the order of their preference, anyone of which may be allotted to their candidates by the commission,” said the EC.

It is evident that the time available is not adequate to ensure the due process which is required to be completed for the proceedings, the order issued by the EC on Saturday evening said.