Thackeray gets 'flaming torch' as poll symbol; EC asks Shinde to submit fresh list
NEW DELHI: ‘ShivSena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’ is the name has been approved by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for the faction of Shiv Sena led by Uddhav while the rival group led by chief minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde has been allowed to use the title—Balasahebanchi ShivSena’ for the party. In an order passed by the Commission on Monday, Uddhav group has also been allotted the symbol ‘Flaming Torch’ to be used by its candidate in the upcoming bypoll.
The Commission also refused to assign alternative symbols—‘Trishul’, ‘Rising Sun’ or Gada (mace) to Shinde camp as requested. The party has been asked to suggest three fresh symbols by Tuesday morning (11 am).
On Saturday, the ECI asked both the parties to suggest three names for their groups, and also to choose three symbols from the list of free symbols.
According to the Commission, both groups submitted the name—ShivSena (Balasaheb Thackeray)—as their first choice for the party hence the title was not permitted to be used by them.
The Uddhav group submitted three choices for the election symbol—‘Trishul’, ‘Rising Sun’ and ‘Flaming Torch’. The Commission accepted the third option—Flaming Torch—though it was not the list of the free symbols.
“Flaming Torch. The symbol is not in the list of free symbols. It was an erstwhile reserved symbol of ‘Samata Party’ which was derecognised as a state party in 2014. On receipt of your request dated October 9, 2022, the Commission has decided to declare ‘flaming torch to be a free symbol’ and allots it to the candidate to set up, if any, by your group in the current bye-election and till the final order is passed,” read the order in the claim filed by Uddhav camp.
The copy of the order has also marked to chief electoral officers of Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha to communicate that ShivSena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray may be treated as recognised state party in Maharashtra only.
Uddhav and Shinde groups have given ‘Trishul’ and ‘Rising Sun’ as their first two choices as election symbols but both options were rejected. While turning down their submission, the Commission said that Trishul has ‘religious connotation’ as it violates Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) order 1968. The third alternative ‘Mace’ requested by the Shinde faction was also not accepted for the same reason.
On the ‘Rising Sun’, the Commission noted that the symbol is already reserved for ‘Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’, a recognized political party in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The ECI on Saturday freezed Shiv Sena’s symbol ‘Bow and Arrow’ and barred the two rival groups from using the party name and its election symbol in the Andheri East assembly bypoll.
The order had come after the group led by Shinde approached the Commission to stake claim over the party’s election symbol in view of the bypoll. On Thursday, the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Maharashtra sought guidance from the Commission on the issue.