On Saturday, the Election Commission barred both factions from using the party’s name and election symbol in the upcoming by-poll. Instead, both factions have been recognized as separate political parties – Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Eknath Shinde’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena – and allotted their own symbols. Thackeray got a Mashaal, or burning torch, and Shinde a talwar and dhal, or sword and shield.
After the Shiv Sena was formed in 1966, it took 23 years for the party to be allotted its now-frozen bow and arrow symbol. Now, 33 years later, that symbol is lost to the party, its use barred until the two rival factions of the party sort themselves out.
The Andheri East assembly bypoll is scheduled to take place on early next month. The two factions are headed by former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and CM Eknath Shinde.
In June, Shinde and a group of rebel MLAs went rogue and turned against Thackeray’s leadership. The BJP stepped in, Thackeray resigned as chief minister, and Shinde was sworn in instead. Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena cleaved into two, reported News laundary.
On Saturday, the Election Commission barred both factions from using the party’s name and election symbol in the upcoming by-poll. Instead, both factions have been recognized as separate political parties – Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Eknath Shinde’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena – and allotted their own symbols. Thackeray got a Mashaal, or burning torch, and Shinde a talwar and dhal, or sword and shield.
Uddhav’s Sena is contesting in the upcoming by-poll. Shinde’s is not; it’s backing the BJP candidate instead, News Laundry reported.
However, it’s not the first time that the Shiv Sena has contested using the torch or the sword and shield. At various points in time, the Shiv Sena has contested polls using the torch or the sword and shield – and emerged victorious. It was only allotted the bow and arrow in 1989 after it was recognized as a regional party.
Also Read: RajyaSabhaMP, Chairperson AICC Minority Department Imran Pratapgarhi Leads #BharatJodoYatra In #Tripura
It was also only after an independent candidate, Ashokrao Deshmukh, contesting from Parbhani under this symbol won a Lok Sabha seat and subsequently joined the then symbol-less Sena. The Election Commission gave his new party the symbol.
Until then, as party cofounder Madhav Deshpande was quoted saying by Newslaundry, “candidates used to fight on various symbols”. In fact, the party’s first MLA, Waman Rao Mahadik, won the 1970 Parel bypoll on a rising sun symbol.
Interestingly, Deshpande grew into an outspoken critic of his party and the supremo Bal Thackeray. He even wrote to the EC and petitioned the Bombay High Court in 1997 to freeze the Shiv Sena’s bow and arrow symbol, claiming Thackeray was a “dictator” and that the party was functioning in an “illegal” manner. The court had rejected his plea.
Deshpande now laments: “If what the EC did today it had done 30 years before, then the party would have mended itself and been democratic by now.”
Renowned Journalist Vijay Samant told Newslaundry the party has successfully fought elections on different symbols. “In 1985’s Vidhan Sabha election, Chagan Bhujbal was the lone Shiv Sena candidate who won the election in Maharashtra on the burning torch symbol,” he said. “In the same year, Sena candidates fought the civic election on the sword and shield, and won massively.”
Since 1968, he added, the Sena’s symbols have included a railway engine and cup and saucer too. “The burning torch symbol [for Uddhav] will bring them luck,” Samant said. “We can’t say about the other districts, but the Uddhav faction has solid support in Mumbai. The change in symbol will not affect the Uddhav faction because their cadres are with them.”
Political analyst Parimal Maya Sudhakar also doesn’t think the change in symbol will “bring harm” to Uddhav’s prospects in the bypoll.
“Voters are conscious of such things. This is in particular an urban constituency,” he said of Andheri East. “If voters were going to vote for Shiv Sena, they would do it anyway. Sharad Pawar has contested on at least three symbols so far.
Each time, his group’s strength remained more or less the same. Similarly, a change in symbol did not make things different for the JDU and RJD…It seems the Uddhav faction may win this election because the cadre in Mumbai are with them. And with the support of Congress and NCP, they will secure the votes of minorities.”
In the future, what matters is the EC’s “final decision”, Sudhakar added, on which faction will eventually get the bow and arrow, reported News Laundry.
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
