Shiv Sena: Election Commission Allots 'Two Swords And Shield' Symbol To Eknath Shinde Faction

The Shinde faction, which is now named as 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena', will be able to use the symbol for the Andheri East assembly bypoll, should it decide to contest the election scheduled for November 3.

Sena on Tuesday had submitted its choice of three poll symbols to the EC after its earlier choices were rejected by the poll panel. The three were 'peepal tree', swords, and Sun.

This comes after the EC on Saturday barred both the Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray factions of Sena from using the party symbol and names in the upcoming November 3 Andheri East assembly bypoll.

Shinde led a revolt within Sena in June with the majority of party MLAs. The then-Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav was ousted and Shinde was sworn in as CM with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The revolt divided Sena into two factions and, since then, both the factions are in a tussle to be the 'real' Sena and carriers of Sena founder Bal Thackeray's legacy.

On Monday, the EC had allotted?'flaming torch' (mashaal) election symbol to the Uddhav faction and recognised it as 'ShivSena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray'.

The EC recognised the Shinde faction as 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena' (Balasaheb's Shiv Sena) but rejected 'trishul', 'gada' (mace) and 'rising sun' as its poll symbols. Trishul and gada were rejected as they had religious connotation.

The Uddhav faction too had given trishul and rising sun as its choices.

Rising sun is the symbol of the DMK, a recognised state party. The EC had then asked the Shinde faction to give fresh alternate symbols by Tuesday morning.

(With PTI inputs)?? ?