Shinde camp allotted ‘Swords & Shield’ symbol by Election Commission

New Delhi: A day after the Election Commission allocated fresh name to the warring factions of Shiv Sena, the Eknath Shinde camp was on Tuesday allotted Sword & Shield symbol. This makes the division of name & party official between the two warring factions of Shiv Sena. Now, the Shinde & Thackeray camp will contest elections on different party symbols – Sword & Shield and Mashaal respectively.

Earlier, the Shinde camp had submitted 3 options for its party symbol including Shining Sun, Shield & Sword and Peepul Tree.

Earlier, the poll panel put a freeze on the original name & symbol of the Shiv Sena and named Shinde camp as ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’ while alloted ‘Shiv Sena – Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’ to the Thackeray camp. The EC allotted mashaal (flaming torch) to Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena and had asked Shinde camp to come up with options.

The EC decision to freeze Sena name & symbol came from earlier precedent. In two other cases of party split, the poll panel has kept the name & symbols of parties – Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and AIADMK until a final decision was reached over spat in rival camps.

It also prohibited Trishul and mace (gada) symbols for any factions, due to their religious connotations. The Shinde camp had submitted 3 symbols – Trishul, Rising Sun, and Gada. Trishul and Gada were rejected due to religious connotation while rising sun was denied because it is already a DMK party symbol.

The Shiv Sena suffered a humiliating split and exit from power as Eknath Shinde rebelled against the then party chief Uddhav Thackeray and pulled out from the MahaAghadi coalition government. As Shinde camp enjoyed support of more than 40 Sena MLAs, the state govt was reduced to minority and Uddhva quit as the chief minister. Later, 12 of Shiv Sena MPs have also switched camps and now consider Shinde as their de-facto leader. Shinde formed the government with support from BJP.