Mumbai: The Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena has submitted three party symbols sword, trumpet, and a mace after the 'Bow and Arrow' was frozen by the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission had on Saturday barred the Shiv Sena factions led by former chief minister Thackeray and present Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol 'bow & arrow' in the Andheri East Assembly by-poll scheduled on November 3.
The Commission recently issued an interim order asking both to suggest three new names and symbols for their respective factions by Monday in the wake of claims by both groups of the Shiv Sena over the names and symbols. Accordingly, alternative symbols have been selected from both groups. Trumpet, mace, and sword are the three election symbols suggested by Shinde's group in the executive meeting of the faction.
Also read: Sena symbol row: Uddhav-led group gives 3 options 'trident', 'rising sun', 'burning torch'
The Shinde group has also submitted three options over the name of the party including 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sena Balasaheb - Dharmaveer Anand Dighe. On Sunday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction submitted to the poll body its three options of a trident, rising sun, or Mashaal (burning torch) for its poll symbol.
The rival factions had approached the Election Commission after the split in the Shiv Sena ranks in June this year, with both sides claiming to be the 'real Shiv Sena'. The by-poll to the Andheri East Assembly seat in suburban Mumbai has been necessitated due to the death of incumbent Sena MLA Ramesh Latke.
The Congress and the NCP have decided to support Ramesh Latke's wife Rujuta Latke, the candidate of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, their coalition partner in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally of the Shinde faction, has decided to field Murji Patel, a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
