Team News Riveting
Mumbai, February 18
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday offered a word of advice to Uddhav Thackeray in the backdrop of Election Commission of India (ECI) order on party symbol.
In a big blow to Thackeray, the EC on Friday allotted the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and its poll symbol ‘bow and arrow’ to the group led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The group led by Shinde had raised a revolt in the Shiv Sena in June 2022 and split the party with majority of MLAs siding with them. The MLAs were resented with the alliance of Uddhav Thackeray with Congress and the NCP.
The Shinde group pulled the Uddhav government to minority and finally he had to resign, paving way for Shinde to form the government with the support of the BJP. The group later claimed that they were the real Shiv Sena with majority of MLAs and MPs. The fight for the symbol and name reached the ECI that gave its ruling on Friday.
This is for the first time that the Thackeray family has lost control of the party that was founded in 1966 by Bal Thackeray.
“It’s the decision of the Election Commission. Once a decision is given, there can be no discussion. Accept it and take a new symbol. It (the loss of the old symbol) is not going to have any major impact as people will accept (the new symbol). It just would remain in the discussion for the next 15-30 days, that’s it,” Pawar said.
“I remember Indira Gandhi also faced this situation. Congress used to have a ‘two bullocks with a yoke’ symbol. Later they lost it & adopted ‘hand’ as a new symbol & people accepted it. Similarly, people will accept the new symbol (of Uddhav Thackeray faction),” he said.
The unrelenting Uddhav Thackeray faction however vowed to take up the fight to Supreme Court.
