The Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray-led faction called the ECI's order prohibiting both the Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions from using the party name and election symbol in the upcoming Andheri East Assembly bypoll "injustice," PTI reported.
The poll body should have made a comprehensive decision rather than passing an interim decision for the bypoll, according to Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council and a Thackeray supporter.
"This is injustice," he told PTI.
On the other hand, the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde deemed the EC order appropriate, PTI reported.
Shiv Sena leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at the rebel Sena leaders after the EC order.
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"Khokewale" traitors committed this shameless and vile act of freezing the name Shiv Sena and symbol", he tweeted, adding that the people of Maharashtra would not tolerate it.
"We will fight and win. We are on the side of the truth. Satyamev Jayate!" he said in the Marathi tweet.
On his Instagram page, Aaditya posted Harivansh Rai Bachchan's famous poem "Agnipath.
The November 3 bypoll to the Andheri East constituency in suburban Mumbai is the first electoral test for the Thackeray group after the split in the party in June this year, leading to the fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.
Interestingly, the upcoming contest is between the Thackeray-led faction and BJP. The Shinde group is not contesting, PTI reported.
The EC asked both groups to suggest by Monday three name choices for their groups, and also as many free symbols.
The interim order came on Saturday on the Shinde faction's request seeking it be allocated the symbol as the Andheri East assembly bypoll is approaching, ANI reported.
The rival factions had approached the Commission after the split in the Shiv Sena ranks in June, claiming to be the 'real Shiv Sena'.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), an ally of the Shinde faction, has decided to field Murji Patel, a corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, for the bypoll necessitated due to the death of incumbent Sena MLA Ramesh Latke.
The Congress and the NCP have decided to support the late Latke's wife Rujuta Latke, the candidate of the Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena, their coalition partner in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi.
(With Inputs From Agencies)