The Election Commission has denied the symbol of ‘bow and arrow’ to both factions of Shiv Sena ahead of the crucial by-poll in Andheri East. The Commission also barred the groups from using the name ‘Shiv Sena.’
The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction can choose from the list of symbols made available by the election commission.
The symbol and name must be presented to the commission by 1 PM on October 10.
The EC order is temporary, and the decision to allocate the party name and symbol will be taken later.
The battle for Andheri East
The demise of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke necessitated the by-poll, and his wife, Rutuja Latke, is contesting from Uddhav Thackeray’s faction. BJP is fielding corporator Murji Patel as their candidate. The poll is scheduled for November 3.
While Uddhav Thackeray is fielding a candidate in the by-poll, Eknath Shinde supports BJP.
The by-poll is keenly watched, as it is the first election after the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government and could set the tone for the upcoming BMC elections.