The Election Commission on Monday allotted new party names to the rival Shiv Sena factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but rejected all proposed alternatives of the party symbol submitted by the Shinde camp while giving the mashaal (torch) symbol to the Thackeray group.
According to sources, the EC, which has frozen the party name as well as the Shiv Sena’s bow and arrow symbol as an interim measure, has now decreed that the Uddhav Thackeray faction would be called the ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)‘ while the Shinde faction is to be known as ‘Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena.’
The poll body has asked the Shinde camp to submit three new party symbol alternatives by Tuesday. Shinde camp spokesperson Naresh Mhaske said they would be pondering over fresh alternatives which would be submitted to the EC by Tuesday morning.
