Shinde faction to get Shiv Sena name and bow – arrow symbol

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday announced that the party name “Shiv Sena” and the symbol “Bow – Arrow” will be retained by the Eknath Shinde faction. Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray – led faction will retain the interim party name Shiv Sena UBT and the flaming torch as it’s poll symbol, the poll body also said.

Notably, both faction of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray) have been fighting for the bow and arrow symbol of the party since Shinde ( present Maharashtra CM) revolted against Thackeray last year. In October 2022, the poll body froze the symbol and party name and allotted new interim names and symbols to both factions of Shiv Sena. 

What ECI said?

The commission observed that the current constitution of the Shiv Sena party is undemocratic. It has been mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all. Such party structures fail to inspire confidence.

How EC decided?

In a unanimous order on the six – month old petition filed by Shinde, the three – member commission said, It had relied on the numerical strength of the party in the legislative wing, where the chief minister enjoyed the support of 40 of the 55 MLAs and 13 of the 18 Lok Sabha members. 

It contended that the amendments of the Shiv Sena constitution in 2018, after the death of founder Balasaheb Thackeray, were undemocratic and paved the way to appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all. 

In its order, the commission said 40 MLAs , supporting the Shinde faction, garnered 36,57,327 votes out of the total 47,82,440 votes, which accounts for approximately 76% of votes polled in favour of 55 winning MLAs. This was in contrast with 11,25,113 votes garnered by 15 MLAs whose support is claimed by the Thackeray faction. 

Conclusion

The commission said it applied the principles of ‘Test of Party constitution’ and the ‘Test of Majority’ while finalising the order.Shinde described the EC verdict as a ‘victory of truth and people as well as blessings of Balasaheb Thackeray’, while a furious Uddhav Thackeray, the former Maharashtra chief minister, said he would approach the supreme court against the EC order.

This is for the first time that the Thackeray family has lost control of the party that was founded in 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray on the principles of justice for the sons of the soil.