The Election Commission of India (ECI) has today passed an interim order by which both Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde camps have been restrained from using the ‘Shiv Sena’ party name and the bow and arrow symbol till the time poll body decides on the claim of the rival faction and finally allot it to one of them.
The restriction in the same shall be applied for the upcoming bye-polls in the State.
The Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey have passed the order stating that
None of the two groups led by Sh. Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde (Petitioner) or the other led by Sh. Uddhav Thackeray (Respondent) will be permitted to use the name of the party “Shivsena” simplicitor.
Both of the groups will be restrained from using the symbol “Bow & Arrow”, reserved for Shivsena.
The order further said that added both the groups have liberty to choose names they desire in the interim including names having linkage with their parent party ‘Shivsena’.
It also added that both the groups shall also be allotted different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Election Commission for the purposes of the current bye-elections.
The order came in wake of a plea that was filed by the Shinde faction seeking decision on which is the real Shiv Sena – the Shinde camp or the Thackeray camp.
Subsequently, Shinde was sworn in as CM with the support of the BJP.
This was after the Shinde and majority of Shiv Sena MLAs had withdrawn support to then Chief Minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray leading to the fall of the Thackeray government.