New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has recognised Eknath Shinde’s group as the real Shiv Sena. On Friday, the ECI also handed over the Shiv Sena’s ‘arrow-command’ symbol to the Shinde faction.
After this decision, Uddhav Thackeray’s team has suffered a severe setback. Uddhav Thackeray has lost both his party’s name and election symbol.
The ECI found that the Constitution of the Uddhav faction’s party was undemocratic. In this, people were appointed without anyone’s election. The commission also found that undemocratic methods were secretly brought back in the Shiv Sena’s original constitution, making the party akin to a private fiefdom.
These methods were rejected by the Election Commission in 1999. With this, the Uddhav faction’s claim from Shiv Sena in Maharashtra is now considered to be over.
In the 78-page order, the EC said Eknath Shinde, who became chief minister after the revolt, had the support of 76 per cent of the party’s winning votes in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Along with this, the Commission allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to keep the ‘torch’ election symbol allotted last year.
Expressing happiness over the Election Commission’s decision, Eknath Shinde said, “I thank the Election Commission. In a democracy, majority matters. This is a victory of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy. We are the real Shiv Sena.”