Election Commission recognises Eknath Shinde faction as real Shiv Sena

The Election Commission of India (EC) on Friday ordered that the party name “Shiv Sena” and the party symbol “Bow and Arrow” will be retained by the Eknath Shinde faction. The EC decision dealt a major blow to the Uddhav Thackeray Shiv Sena faction.

In its order, the EC observed that the constitution of Shiv Sena amended in 2018 is not given to the Election Commission of India. The amendments had undone the act of introducing democratic norms in the Party Constitution of 1999, which was brought by Late Balasaheb Thackeray at the insistence of the Commission.

The Election Commission also observed that the undemocratic norms of the original Constitution of Shiv Sena, which was not accepted by the Commission in 1999, have been brought back in a surreptitious manner further making the party akin to a fiefdom, EC said in 78-page order on the protracted battle for control of Shiv Sena.

Reacting to EC’s decision, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called it a victory of Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology. “I thank Election Commission. Majority counts in democracy,” Shinde said. 

“This is the victory of Balasaheb's legacy. Ours is the true Shiv Sena. We set up the government in Maharashtra (with BJP) last year keeping in mind thoughts of Balasaheb,” the Maharashtra CM added.

On the other hand, rival Uddhav Thackeray camp’s MP Sanjay Raut called the decision “expected”, adding that they did not have faith in EC. He termed the decision “murder of democracy”.

The EC allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to keep the "flaming torch" poll symbol allocated to it until the completion of the assembly bypolls in Maharashtra. 

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(Inputs from PTI, ANI)