Ahead of the Andheri East assembly by-election, the Uddhav Thackeray faction will now be known as Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and its new party symbol will be marshal (flaming torch). On the other hand Chief Eknath Shind camp will be called Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena). The Election Commission on Monday however, asked the Shinde camp to give three fresh options by 10 am tomorrow. Earlier, the gada (blunt mace) and the trishul (trident), proposed by both the factions, were rejected by the poll body as they were religious symbols. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar is said to have taken a tough stand against allocation of symbols with religious connotations to political parties. Hours after the EC’s decision, the Thackeray faction came out with a poster carrying a new name and logo and it also released a video.
The Thackeray faction had given a list of three names and symbols. 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray' was the first choice, 'Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' was the second pick, while 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb Prabodhankar Thackeray' was the third. It had given three options for party symbols including Trishul (trident), rising sun and marshal.
On its part, the Shinde camp had suggested three options for the party name including Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray, Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena Balasahebanchi.
Thackeray faction claimed that it was happy with the EC’s move to allot the name and the symbol.
“We are happy that the three names that matter to us most – Uddhav ji, Balasaheb and Thackeray – have been retained in the new name,” said Thackeray faction leader and former minister Bhaskar Jadhav.
On the other hand, Shinde tweeted: "Finally the victory of the strong Hindutva views of Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray. We are the inheritors of Balasaheb's thoughts.’’
When asked to comment on the allotment of name and the symbol to Thackeray faction, Shinde said, ‘’You ask them about the symbol they got and the name they got, that will be right. Torch must be lit against injustice. Even during the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj torch was lit against injustice. We are a party to remove injustice. This is the party of the people of the state. It is a government of the people.”
The Shinde camp also expressed satisfaction over the allotment of new party name — Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena saying that it they had Bal Thackeray’s blessings and that their faction was the one carrying forward his thoughts.
War of words between Thackeray faction & Shinde camp
Thackeray faction MP Arvind Sawant targeted the Shinde camp and said, ‘’We are proud to have got the name 'Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)'. Because our party has got a new face. We got the name 'Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray'. So now we don't have to wear masks. Most importantly, we have all the three names 'Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' in our name,’’ said Sawant.
‘’We are also happy to have the Election Symbol 'Mashal'. We also gave two other options, Trishul and Rising Sun. One of these three options has been accepted by the Election Commission. 'Mashal' was once our symbol,’’he noted.
Sawant targeted Shinde camp saying that the ‘’choir bazaar’’ is currently in Maharashtra. ‘’Earlier, there was the stealing of father (Uddhav’s father Balasaheb), then stealing of the party (Shiv Sena) and now the symbol. The chor bazaar is getting the support of ‘’MahaShakti.’’ How the information we submitted to the Election Commission was leaked out?he asked. ‘’How come the same symbols were submitted by the Shinde camp,’he asked.
However, Shinde camp spokesman and former Thane mayor Naresh Mhaske said,’’ I am very satisfied and very happy that we are moving forward with Balasaheb's Hindutva and the name we have got. We are very happy to get the name Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. We have got time till tomorrow morning from the Election Commission regarding the symbols and by then we will deliberate and give the three options for our symbol.’’
‘’We have got that name now, so we have truly got Balasaheb's blessings,'' said Mhaske.
He took a dig at Thackeray camp saying that ‘’We had asked for the name Shiv Sena of Balasaheb and once again it has been proved that this is not a Shinde group but it is Shiv Sena of Balasaheb. The Shiv Sena belongs to our Balasaheb and not to anyone's father. I think this has been proven once again.’’
‘’We are still confident that in the future we will definitely get the symbol of bow and arrow. This is the symbol of Shiv Sena and we are sure that Balasaheb's Shiv Sena will get it and we will try again for it,’’ said another spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre.
Chhagan Bhujbal had won in 1985 assembly poll as the lone Shiv Sena MLA with flaming torch symbol
EC’s move to allot flaming torch to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has a historical relevance as in 1985 assembly election when Shiv Sena did not have a dedicated election symbol the party had got flaming torch. Chhagan Bhujbal was the lone party nominee who had won the state assembly elections from Mazgaon constituency with a flaming torch symbol.
"I had chosen the flaming torch because it was a symbol of revolution and a symbolism which showed the new path to people of Maharashtra," Bhujbal said. He recalled that for want of money the poll campaign was largely based on wall painting. ‘’Drawing of a flaming torch was quite easy. I won the election and I was the lone Shiv Sena nominee in the state assembly,’’ he added.
Bhujbal, who left Shiv Sena in 1990 to join Congress and now a senior leader with NCP, said Sena won many elections with the flaming torch as symbol and later it got bat and ball and rising sun till it was allotted bow and arrow in 1989. He hoped that the Uddhav Thackeray led party will continue to win elections in future too with a flaming torch.
