NEW DELHI: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction on Monday moved the Delhi high court seeking quashing of an Election Commission (EC) order freezing the party’s name and ‘bow and arrow’ election symbol.
On October 8, the ECI had frozen the party’s poll symbol as well as the use of its name ahead of the November 3 Andheri East Assembly bypoll in Mumbai.
The petition, filed by Thackeray, has challenged ECI’s order, contending it was passed in complete violation of principles of natural justice and without granting any hearing to the parties. The petition has arrayed ECI and Maharashtra chief minister Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde as parties.
The move comes on a day when the Uddhav and Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena formally submitted to the EC three symbols and names each.
On October 8, the ECI had frozen the party’s poll symbol as well as the use of its name ahead of the November 3 Andheri East Assembly bypoll in Mumbai.
The petition, filed by Thackeray, has challenged ECI’s order, contending it was passed in complete violation of principles of natural justice and without granting any hearing to the parties. The petition has arrayed ECI and Maharashtra chief minister Eknathrao Sambhaji Shinde as parties.
The move comes on a day when the Uddhav and Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena formally submitted to the EC three symbols and names each.
Later in the day, the Uddhav camp said the Shiv Sena is a “bushfire” that can never be extinguished and promised to “bounce back” from the EC’s decision, which the faction claimed was nothing short of “injustice”.
In an editorial in the party mouthpiece ‘Samaana‘, the Shiv Sena said: “This (EC decision) is the sin of Delhi. Dishonest persons carried out this dishonesty. But we would like to assure we will stand strong despite innumerable catastrophes.”
The EC took a “cruel” decision to “finish off the Shiv Sena founded by Bal Thackeray” because of the objections raised in front of it by the “traitors” led by (Maharashtra chief minister) Eknath Shinde, the editorial alleged.
(With inputs from agencies)
