Mumbai (Maharashtra), February 18, 2023: The political drama in Maharashtra continues as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said on Friday that the people would accept the new symbol of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction after the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered that the party name “Shiv Sena” and the party symbol “Bow and Arrow” will be given to the Eknath Shinde faction.
Pawar asked Thackeray to accept the ECI’s decision and adopt a new symbol, saying that it would not have any major impact.
He recalled the Congress having to change its symbol from two bullocks with a yoke to hand and said that the people would accept the new symbol of Uddhav Thackeray faction like the way they accepted the Congress’ new symbol.
In a major setback to the Uddhav Thackery faction of Shiv Sena, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday allotted the party name “Shiv Sena” and the symbol “Bow and Arrow” to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The Shinde faction welcomed the decision to be recognized as the real Shiv Sena, while the Uddhav Thackeray faction said they would move the Supreme Court.
The Commission observed in its order that the current constitution of the Shiv Sena party is undemocratic and has been “mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all.” It said such party structures fail to inspire confidence.
Calling the poll panel’s decision as “murder of democracy”, Uddhav Thackeray said he will approach the Supreme Court against the decision.
He said they have the support of people and will go to them. “We will surely go to the Supreme Court against this EC order. We are sure that the SC will set aside this order,” Thackeray said.
