'Real' Shiv Sena Battle: Shinde Hails EC's Decision, Calls It 'Victory of Truth'; Uddhav Says Will Go to SC

Following the Election Commission of India’s decision to allot the party name “Shiv Sena” and the party symbol “Bow and Arrow” to the Eknath Shinde faction, Uddhav Thackeray said this is the murder of democracy and he will approach the Supreme Court.

Pointing out that the battle is still in the apex court, Uddhav said it was expected from the poll body to give the ruling without hearing his side.

Meanwhile, CM Eknath Shinde credited this victory to the teachings of Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe and democracy.

Last year, Shinde rebelled against Thackeray’s leadership, claiming the support of 40 of the 56 Sena MLAs and 13 of its 18 Lok Sabha members.

EC’s Observations on Alloting Shiv Sena Name & Symbol to Shinde Faction

In the order, the Election Commission observed that the current Constitution of the Shiv Sena is “undemocratic. It has been mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all. Such party structures fail to inspire confidence, the EC added

The EC observed that the constitution of Shiv Sena amended in 2018 is not given to the Election Commission of India. Amendments had undone the act of introducing democratic norms in the Party Constitution of 1999, brought by Late Balasaheb Thackeray at the insistence of the Commission.

The EC also observed that the undemocratic norms of the original Constitution of Shiv Sena, which was not accepted by the Commission in 1999 have been brought back in a surreptitious manner further making the party akin to a fiefdom.

The EC observed 40 MLAs, supporting the Shinde faction, garnered 36,57,327 votes out of total 47,82,440 votes i.e ~76% of votes polled in favour of 55 winning MLAs. This contrasts with 11,25,113 votes garnered by 15 MLAs whose support is claimed by the Thackeray faction. As against 90,49,789, total votes polled by Shiv Sena in the Maharashtra Assembly election in 2019 (including the losing candidates), votes polled by 40 MLAs supporting the petitioner come to ~40 % whereas votes polled by 15 MLAs supporting the Respondents come to ~12% of total votes.

13 MPs supporting the Shinde faction garnered 74,88,634 votes out of total 1,02,45143 votes i.e ~73% of votes polled in favor of 18 MPs in Lok Sabha polls 2019. This contrasts with 27,56,509 votes garnered by 5 MPs supporting Thackeray faction i.e ~ 27% of votes polled in favour of 18 MPs.

Uddhav Camp Says ‘Murder of Democracy’

Uddhav Thackeray termed the EC’s ruling as the murder of democracy and said he will approach the Supreme Court against the Commission.

“Whatever has happened is unexpected. This fight was on in the SC… don’t take any decision till the court decides anything. This was expected from EC. They should have the mandate of the people…It is compulsory to listen to both sides… EC should conduct a hearing. This is the murder of Indian democracy,” he said.

“I feel within few months local body elections including BMC election will be held and people will take revenge for what you have done. They have stolen our symbol but the real bow and arrow will remain with me and we will keep worshipping that. We are going to the SC against this decision of EC,” he added.

Uddhav further asked Shiv Sena party workers not to get demoralised by the decision.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut termed the EC’s ruling as a “murder of democracy”. “This is not justice. There is a ‘Khoki Sarkar’ in Maharashtra. There is nothing to worry about as people are with us. There is no democracy left in the country. This is the murder of democracy,” he said. We will go with a new symbol and raise this Shiv Sena once again in the court of public, he added.

“The order is what we had suspected. We had been saying that we don’t trust the EC. When the matter is sub-judice before Supreme Court and no final decision has been taken, this haste by EC shows it works as a BJP agent under Central Govt. We condemn this,” said Anand Dubey, Uddhav Thackeray faction spokesperson.

Victory of Ideologies of Balasaheb, Anand Dighe: Eknath Shinde

Hailing the move, CM Eknath Shinde said this win is of teachings of Bal Thackeray and Anand Dighe. “It’s a victory of democracy. This country runs on the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. We formed our Government on the basis of that Constitution. The EC order that came today is on the basis of merit. I express my gratitude to the Election Commission,” he added.

Following the EC’s order, Eknath Shinde updated his display picture on Twitter and put up Shiv Sena’s ‘bow and arrow’ symbol as the picture.

Meanwhile, BJP Maharashtra president Chandrashekhar Bawankule hailed the EC’s move as the “biggest victory of democracy”.

Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said Eknath Shinde who actually followed Bal Thackeray’s’ teaching have got the party name and symbol today. “We were confident from the beginning. Similar decisions were taken earlier also in these kinds of situations,” he added.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray tweeted a video clip of Bal Thackeray in which he was heard saying, “Money comes and goes. But name, once name goes, it doesn’t come back.”

Sena vs Sena – How It Started?

Uddhav’s troubles started mounting on June 10, 2022, when the BJP won three of the six seats in the Rajya Sabha elections and a Sena candidate lost. On June 20, of the 10 seats in the Legislative Council elections, Sena and its allies were expected to win six seats but won only five with the BJP bagging the same number of seats due to cross-voting from the MVA.

Immediately after the Council election results, Shinde and a few Sena MLAs went incommunicado and were later found in a Surat hotel. Around 4 am on June 22, Shinde and the rebel MLAs, with a number of around 35, boarded a chartered flight to Guwahati in BJP-governed Assam. What followed was a number game of Sena MLAs switching over to the Shinde camp. There were numerous requests and offers from the Thackeray side, but the number in the Shinde camp only kept swelling to 39.

Shinde was removed as the leader of the Shiv Sena legislature party and a disqualification petition was filed in the Supreme Court, prompting Shinde to challenge the move.

The Sena factions also faced off through House rules and the court. After the action against Shinde, the rebel MLAs declared him the leader of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party. Days later, Shine took oath as the chief minister and BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.

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