Shiv Sena Election Commission freezes Shiv Sena symbol as Thackeray and Shinde fight
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has frozen the bow and arrow symbol of Shiv Sena as Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde factions continue to lock horns, media reports said.
As more and more Shiv Sena leaders join the Eknath Shinde camp, the two leaders have been asserting their claims over the party's original symbol.
The poll body has asked the two factions to choose interim markers from available symbols by 1 pm on October 10.
They have to choose different names and symbols in the upcoming bye-election in Mumbai's Andheri East notified on Friday.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government mid-term collapsed after a sudden coup led by Eknath Shinde with BJP's support.
The Commission had earlier asked the competing groups to submit documents proving legislative and organisational support by August 8 to back their claims.
The Shinde faction had approached the Election Commission seeking the allocation of the bow and arrow poll symbol for the upcoming by-election.
Since the split in June, both groups have been accusing each other of tainting the legacy of Bal Thackeray, founder of Shiv Sena and father of Uddhav Thackeray.
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