The Election Commission of India on Tuesday allotted 'two swords and shield' as the election symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. The Shinde faction had submitted 'peepal tree', sword and sun as its poll symbol choices to the Election Commission after its earlier choices were rejected by the poll panel.
The name of the party led by Eknath Shinde will be "BalasahebAanchi Shiv Sena".
In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the EC said it had decided to declare "Do Talwarein aur Ek Dhal (Two Swords & Shield)" to be a free symbol and allot it to the candidate set up, if any, by the Shinde-led faction for the Andheri East Assembly bypoll.
Earlier, the EC had rejected 'trishul', 'gada' (mace) and 'rising sun' as the Shinde faction's poll symbols. Trishul and 'gada' were rejected as they had religious connotation.
READ | Uddhav Thackeray-Led Sena Faction Releases Poster With New Party Symbol. Check It Out
The ECI had, on October 8, frozen the Sena's 'bow and arrow' symbol and barred the groups led by Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from using the party name for the November 3 Andheri (East) bypoll in Mumbai.
On Monday, the Election Commission allotted 'flaming torch' (mashaal) as the election symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction. The name of the party led by Uddhav Thackeray will be "Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray".
Both the factions expressed satisfaction after the Election Commission allotted them new names that mention "Balasaheb" (Thackeray).
Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray faction has moved the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the Election Commission's order freezing the party's name and election symbol, PTI reported.
In the petition, Thackeray said the EC's order was passed in complete violation of principles of natural justice and without granting any hearing to the parties.
The petition has arrayed ECI and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde as parties, PTI reported.
The Sena split into two camps after Shinde, along with 40 other party MLAs, rebelled against Thackeray's leadership. Following Thackeray's resignation as chief minister of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress coalition, Shinde became CM with the support of the BJP.
(With inputs from agencies)