Uddhav slams ECI, urges people to teach the ‘thieves’ a lesson

The poll panel on Friday allotted the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the symbol ‘Bow and Arrow’ to chief minister Eknath Shinde’s faction.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday came down on the Election Commission of India (ECI), calling it a slave of BJP-led Central government, and appealed to people to teach in the coming elections a lesson to the ‘thieves’ who stole the party name and symbol.

Earlier in the day, Thackeray chaired a meeting of senior party leaders, MLAs and MPs and told them that the ruling alliance could announce civic polls soon. “Be prepared for the polls anytime soon. Anticipating that they will take away the symbol of flaming torch, we have prepared a list of alternative symbols.” (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

The poll panel on Friday allotted the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the symbol ‘Bow and Arrow’ to chief minister Eknath Shinde’s faction.

“They have stolen the name of Shiv Sena, and symbol and think they will finish us. But Shiv Sena will not be finished,” Thackeray told his supporters from the sunroof of his car outside his Bandra residence. This was a copy of the style his father and Sena founder late Bal Thackeray had adopted to address the crowd five decades ago.

Constitutional institutions like ECI have become slaves of the BJP government, Uddhav said. “After retirement, an election commissioner may become a governor in some state. Now people of Maharashtra, who are the owners of the state, will decide who the real Shiv Sena is in the upcoming polls.”

Reacting to the allegations, Sheetal Mhatre, spokesperson for Shinde group, said, “Uddhav Thackeray’s speech was an attempt to earn sympathy. His language was not decent, and it showed that he had lost confidence. The speech also lacked maturity.”

In his speech, Thackeray said the party’s name was given to a thief with a sacred bow and arrow symbol. “Now they may even take away the flaming torch. Let Shinde declare polls with the stolen bow and arrow and I with a torch. Let’s see who wins the elections.”

They want Thackeray’s name, Balasaheb’s face but don’t want his family, he further said. “BJP knows they can’t win an election with Modi. So now they are coming with masks of Balasaheb. But the people of Maharashtra are not fools and they will elect the real face.”

Earlier in the day, Thackeray chaired a meeting of senior party leaders, MLAs and MPs and told them that the ruling alliance could announce civic polls soon. “Be prepared for the polls anytime soon. Anticipating that they will take away the symbol of flaming torch, we have prepared a list of alternative symbols.”

He also expressed confidence that there could be a big wave in their favour due to the injustice. “I am not demoralised; I am ready to fight. All of you are ready to fight. People will support us.”

Senior leaders, including Subhash Desai, Anil Desai and Anil Parab, attended the meeting.