Thackeray Camp Calls EC Order Freezing Shiv Sena Party Symbol ‘Injustice’, Terms Shinde Camp As ‘Traitors’

The Andheri East bypoll in suburban Mumbai on November 3 will come as first electoral test for the Thackeray group after the split in the party in June this year.

New Delhi: Following Election Commission’s order that barred both, the Thackeray faction and the Eknath Shinde faction from using Shiv Sena’s name and election symbol in the upcoming Andheri East bypolls, the Thackeray camp termed the decision as “injustice”, reported news agency PTI. Meanwhile Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led group termed the EC order as appropriate. 

The poll body should have holistically taken a decision rather than passing an interim decision for the bypoll, said Ambadas Danve, Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, a Thackeray loyalist.

"This is injustice," he told the news agency.

Shiv Sena leader and former minister Aditya Thackeray on Saturday lashed out at the rival faction following EC’s order. 

Accusing party rebels led by CM Shinde of committing treachery for the lure of "khoke" or boxes of cash, Aditya said that "Khokewale" traitors committed this shameless and vile act of freezing the name Shiv Sena and symbol", in a tweet, 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.

The Andheri East bypoll in suburban Mumbai on November 3 will come as 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.

With Shinde group out of the contest, the fight will be directly between Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

The EC asked both groups to suggest by Monday three name choices for their groups, and also as many free symbols.

Chandrakant Khaire, former MP and another leader from the Thackeray camp, attacked the rival faction led by Shinde and said whoever has done this cannot undo the "sin" they have committed.

Prataprao Jadhav, an MP from the Shinde camp, said the EC has taken the right decision.

Uddhav Thackeray discarded the ideology of Sena founder Bal Thackeray and formed an alliance with the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, he said.