The election Commission allots Interim names for the two factions of Shiv Sena. The Uddhav faction will be called Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and it would use Mashaal (Flaming torch) as its election symbol.
On the other hand, the Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde faction will be known as Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena. However, it is yet to get a symbol because its earlier choices of Gada (Blunt mace) and Trishul (Trident) were rejected by the EC as religious symbols. The rival faction has to submit three new options by Tuesday 10 am.
Earlier the EC froze the name Shiv Sena and its ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol pending a final call on which of the two factions is legitimate. The Thackeray team has approached the High Court in this regard, and called EC’s decision to freeze the name and symbol without giving them a hearing “against principles of natural justice.”
The November 3 byelection in Mumbai’s Andheri East constituency will be a litmus test for both the Sena factions. It will show whom the public sees as the real Shiv Sena.