The Eknath Shinde-faction of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra submitted three options of symbols --- a sun, a sword and shield, and a pipal tree --- to the Elections Commission (EC) on Tuesday, days after the EC barred Shinde and Thackeray's factions from using the Shiv Sena symbol.
On Monday, the election body allotted the torch Mashaal ('flaming torch') symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray faction, ending the Thackeray-Shinde fight for the claim on Sena. Uddhav Thackeray's party name will be 'Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray' whereas Eknath Shinde got the name 'Balasahebchi Shiv Sena.'
On Monday, the Shinde camp proposed a trumpet, blunt mace and sword as options for the party. However, it got rejected. The rival factions of Shiv Sena had both claimed Trishul and the rising sun as election symbols.
The two factions are set for a face-off in a by-election for the Andheri East constituency. Following both the factions' claim on the party symbol and name, the EC on Saturday barred both from using them in the upcoming polls.
In an interim order on Saturday, the EC asked the Uddhav and Shinde factions to suggest by Monday three different name choices and also as many free symbols for allocation to their respective groups.
Uddhav had on Sunday asked the EC to finalise one of three symbols —trident, burning torch, rising Sun— finalised by his camp and a name without delay ahead of the bypoll. The Uddhav faction is contesting the bypoll. The Bharatiya Janata Party, an ally of Shinde group, has also decided to contest the bypoll.
Shiv Sena got its fixed symbol—bow and arrow—in 1989, before which they contested elections on different symbols like sword and shield, coconut tree, railway engine, and cup and plate.
