While the poll body asked the Shinde faction to submit a fresh list of symbols, it allotted ‘flaming torch’ (mashaal) to the Thackeray faction.
The Election Commission on Monday allotted new names to the two warring Shiv Sena factions -- 'ShivSena - Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' as the party name for the Thackeray faction, and 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena' (Balasaheb's Shiv Sena) as the name for the Eknath Shinde group of the party.
While the poll body asked the Shinde faction to submit a fresh list of three symbols by Tuesday morning, it allotted ‘flaming torch’ (mashaal) to the Thackeray faction of Sena.
The Commission also rejected 'Trishul' (trident) and rising 'Gada' (mace) as election symbols claimed by the two factions of the Shiv Sena, citing their religious connotation.
It also pointed out that the 'Rising Sun' election symbol sought by both factions was reserved for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar is learnt to have taken a tough stand against the allocation of symbols with religious connotations to political parties.
The Commission noted that the 'flaming torch' symbol was earlier allotted to the Samata Party, which was derecognised in 2004. The Commission said it had decided to list the 'flaming torch' as a 'free symbol' following the request from the Thackeray faction.
Notably, the Thackeray faction’s choice of flaming torch as its symbol has a deep-rooted connection. In 1985, the party had won an election on the ‘mashaal’ logo since Sena did not have a dedicated election symbol back then.
Chhagan Bhujban, the lone Sena MLA in the seventh Maharashtra Assembly, had won from Mazgaon constituency on the flaming torch symbol. “I had chosen the flaming torch because it was a symbol of revolution and showed a new path to the people of Maharashtra,” he was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.
It was in 1989 that the Sena was permanently assigned the bow and arrow as an election symbol with recognition as a state party.
The Commission had barred both the factions from using the name 'Shiv Sena' and the election symbol 'bow and arrow' in order to place the rival groups on an even keel and to protect their rights and interests ahead of the Andheri East assembly bypolls.
Shinde had rebelled against Thackeray's leadership, claiming the support of 40 of the Shiv Sena's 55 MLAs and 12 of its 18 members in the Lok Sabha.
Following Thackeray's resignation as chief minister of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition, Shinde became chief minister with the support of the BJP.
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 "How Uddhav Thackeray faction got the 'Mashaal' poll symbol")
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