Ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray being handed over a flaming torch (mashaal), the new poll symbol for his faction of the Shiv Sena, in Mumbai. ANI
New Delhi, October 11
The Election Commission today announced that it has allotted “two swords and a shield” poll symbol to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena, which has so far been named the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena.
In a communication to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, the poll panel said the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena would be able to use the symbol for the Andheri East Assembly bypoll provided it decides to contest the election scheduled for November 3.
In the letter, the commission said it had decided to declare “two swords and a shield” as a free symbol and allot it to the candidate, if any, chosen by the Shinde-led group in the bypoll.
The Shinde faction had suggested “peepal tree”, “sword and shield”, and “sun” as its three choices.
The commission turned down all the three suggestions made by the Shinde-group contending that they were not in the list of free symbols. However, it allotted the poll symbol “two swords and a shield”, noting that it resembled the ‘dhal-talwar’ (shield and sword) sought by the outfit. The “two swords and shield” symbol was earlier allotted to the People’s Democratic Movement, which was de-recognised as a state party in 2004 and subsequently de-listed in 2016, the commission said.
Turning down the claim to the ‘sun’ symbol, the poll authority said the Shinde faction’s choice resembled the poll symbols ‘sun (without rays)’ and ‘rising sun’ of the Zoram National Party and DMK, respectively.
On Saturday last, the commission had barred the factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Shinde from using the party name ‘Shiv Sena’ and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol for the November 3 Andheri East assembly bypoll.
On Monday, the EC allotted ‘flaming torch’ (mashaal) election symbol to the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and recognised it as ‘Shiv Sena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’. It recognised the Shinde faction as ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’ (Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena).
Andheri East Assembly bypoll on Nov 3
In a communication to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, the EC said the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena would be able to use the symbol for the Andheri East Assembly bypoll provided it decides to contest the election scheduled for November 3
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