Sharad Pawar advises Uddhav to accept EC's decision, says loss of symbol, party name won't have much impact

On Friday, the Election Commission allotted the name ‘Shiv Sena’ and its symbol ‘bow and arrow’ to Eknath Shinde-led rebel faction.

The EC’s decision virtually closed Thackeray’s chances of inheriting the legacy of a party founded by his father late Bal Thackeray in 1966.

He stressed the loss of the party name and symbol wouldn’t have much impact on Uddhav Thackeray.

Pawar, who mediated between Thackeray and then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, to form a coalition government in Maharashtra, said the new symbol of Shiv Sena (UBT) will be accepted by the people.

Shiv Sena had fought the 2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections as part of an alliance with Devendra Fadnavis-led NDA. However, after winning the polls, Thackeray refused to settle for anything but chief ministership.

Pawar then brokered an alliance between Uddhav Thackeray's undivided Shiv Sena and Sonia Gandhi of the Congress, along with the support from the Samajwadi Party, PWPI, Prahar Janshakti Party, CPI(M) and several other political parties including Independent MLAs and his own pary to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra.

"It's the decision of the Election Commission. Once a decision is given, there can be no discussion. Accept it and take a new symbol. It (the loss of the old symbol) is not going to have any major impact as people will accept (the new symbol). It just would remain in the discussion for the next 15-30 days, that's it," Pawar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

He cited the example of Congress party, which initially had ‘two bullocks with a yoke’ as its election symbol, but had to change to ‘hand’.

Pawar, who was a top leader of the Congress before breaking away and forming his own party, said people will accept Uddhav’s party and its new symbol just like they recognised Congress.

"I remember Indira Gandhi also faced this situation. Congress used to have a 'two bullocks with a yoke' symbol. Later they lost it & adopted 'hand' as a new symbol & people accepted it. Similarly, people will accept the new symbol (of Uddhav Thackeray faction)," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

In a big jolt to the Uddhav Thackery faction of Shiv Sena, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday allotted the party name ‘Shiv Sena’ and the symbol ‘Bow and Arrow’ to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Last year, the poll panel allotted the Thackeray-led faction the “flaming torch” symbol. Since the Eknath Shinde-led rebellion split up the Shiv Sena, forcing Uddhav Thackeray to step down as the chief minister of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the two groups have been claiming themselves as the “real” Shiv Sena.