The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Tuesday, allowed the ‘Two Swords and Shield’ symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena a day after the group was allotted ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’ (Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena) as the name for the faction of the party.
In its communique to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Election Commission said the panel has declared the allotment of Two Swords & Shield as recommended by the splinter group to use as the symbol to be allotted to the candidates, if any, by the group in the current bye-elections and till the final order is passed.
The Election Commission, on Monday, had allotted ‘Balasahebanchi Shivsena’ as the party name for Eknath Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena. Eknath Shinde’s party had declined to accept Trishul and Gada (mace) as a poll symbol citing religious connotations.
The Commission allotted the ‘flaming torch’ (Mashaal) election symbol to ‘Shiv Sena – Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’, the other faction of the party, on Monday.
“We are happy that the three names that matter to us most – Uddhav ji, Balasaheb and Thackeray – are retained in the new name,” former Maharashtra minister Bhaskar Jadhav, a close aide of the Thackeray family, said after the poll panel’s order.