Trishul, rising sun, mashaal: Uddhav faction proposes three poll symbols after EC order

Mumbai, Oct 09: A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) froze the use of the Shiv Sena's bow and arrow symbol, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena has proposed three new symbol choices for the upcoming bye-election in Mumbai's Andheri East.

"ECI froze our election symbol. They asked us to give symbols, Uddhav Thackeray gave three symbols, 'trishul', 'mashaal' and 'rising sun' to ECI. ECI will decide and allot the symbol now," Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant told reporters.

"Our party's name is Shiv Sena, if ECI gives any of the names related to Shiv Sena including 'Shiv Sena (Balasaheb Thackeray)', 'Shiv Sena (Prabodhankar Thackeray)' or 'Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)', that would be acceptable to us," he said.

In a major decision on Saturday, the Election Commission barred the Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde from using the party name and its election symbol in the Andheri East assembly bypoll.

In an interim order over the claims by the rival factions for control of the organisation, the commission asked them to suggest by Monday three different name choices and also as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups.

The rival factions had approached the Commission after the split in the Shiv Sena ranks in June, claiming to be the 'real Shiv Sena'. The Commission had earlier asked the rival groups to submit documentary proof on legislative and organisational support by August 8 to back their claims.

The Commission has directed both the groups to furnish, latest by 1:00 PM on October 10, choices of names and symbols for their groups that may be allotted to them. The EC said the interim order will continue and "till the final determination of the dispute".

The fresh claim to the 'bow and arrow' election symbol by the Shinde faction is seen as an attempt to deny its use by the Thackeray group which has decided to field Rutuja Latke, the widow of MLA Ramesh Latke, for the bypoll.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena termed the Election Commission's order barring both the Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions from using the party name and election symbol in the coming Andheri East Assembly bypoll as "injustice".

The group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on the other hand, termed the EC order appropriate.