In a new move in allocating election insignia to the Shiv Sena’s two factions, the Election Commission of India has granted the Eknath Shinde faction two swords and a shield symbol (Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena). This comes after the Uddhav Thackeray group received Mashaal (flaming flame) as their electoral symbol yesterday.
JUST IN: Eknath Shinde faction (Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena) gets two swords & shield symbol from Election Commission of India. pic.twitter.com/64mTE7ts5U
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) October 11, 2022
The bow and arrow symbol of Shiv Sena had previously been frozen by the Election Commission of India as both sections of the party continued to contest it. The Eknath Shinde camp earlier proposed a trumpet, a blunt mace, and a sword as electoral symbols, but all three were rejected, and they were instructed to submit three new ideas to the Election Commission.
The two groups were attempting to finalise their emblems ahead of the Andheri East bypoll, which fell vacant in May 2022 following the death of Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Latke. The elections will take place on November 3rd, later this year.
Shinde had defied Uddhav Thackeray for establishing an “unnatural alliance” with Congress and the NCP. Thackeray was forced to resign as Chief Minister of Maharashtra when more than 40 of the Shiv Sena’s 55 MLAs backed Shinde. Shinde, who was later acknowledged to be the original Shiv Sena leader, won support from 12 of the Shiv Sena’s 18 Lok Sabha members.
On October 5, both Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde engaged in a war of words, with Thackeray calling Eknath Shinde ‘Kattappa‘ and Shinde hitting back. During a speech, Thackeray called Shinde ‘Katappa’ and said, “The only thing I feel bad and angry about is that when I was admitted to the hospital, the people whom I gave the responsibility (of the state) became ‘Katappa’ and betrayed us. They were cutting me and thinking that I will never return from the hospital.”
Maharashtra | They call me ‘Katappa’. I want to tell you, that even ‘Katappa’ had self-respect, was not double standard like you: CM Eknath Shinde responds to Uddhav Thackeray’s comment pic.twitter.com/3erxU2RX9K
— ANI (@ANI) October 5, 2022
On this Shinde responded while addressing a huge crowd on Dussehra celebrations, “They call me ‘Katappa’. I want to tell you, that even ‘Katappa’ had self-respect, and was not double standard like you.”
