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Eknath Shinde faction submits these 3 choices for symbol to Election Commission
Eknath Shinde's revolt against Uddhav Thackeray had split Shiv Sena down the middle.
Amid a face-off with the Uddhav Thackeray faction, the Eknath Shinde camp on Tuesday morning submitted a list of their three choices for the party symbol to the Election Commission of India through an email, people familiar with the matter said. Sun, sword and shield, and pipal tree are said to be the choices that have been submitted. The EC had last week frozen the "bow and arrow" symbol of Shiv Sena amid deepening rift. The matter had even reached the Supreme Court.
On Monday, Team Eknath Shinde was allowed by the poll body to name the party - Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena). The team's other choice - Shiv Sena (Balasaheb Thackeray) - was rejected on grounds that it was team Uddhav’s first choice also.
After the EC granted the name, Shinde - in a tweet, roughly translated from Marathi - said: “Finally the victory of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray's Hindutva ideals. We are the inheritors of his ideals." Ever since he revolted against Uddhav Thackeray and later took charge as Maharashtra chief minister, Eknath Shinde has been insisting that he continues to follow the ideals of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray.
The Uddhav Thackeray camp has already got a symbol cleared by the EC - a flaming torch or a "mashaal". Team Uddhav’s second choice of name, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), has been cleared.
The developments come ahead of a crucial by-poll in Mumbai's Andheri on November 3 - the first after the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray government in June.
