Shinde, Uddhav have plan Bs if EC freezes 'bow and arrow' symbol

It appears that Shinde is mulling a sword, while Uddhav would go for a mace as their second option for party symbol

The traditional ‘bow and arrow’ symbol has become a bone of contention between Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and rebel group leader and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. With both claiming the right to the 'real' party and symbol, the tug of war between the warring groups of the regional saffron party has intensified.

However, the Thackeray-team and Shinde-faction, had made their plan Bs ready as the issue is pending before the Election Commission of India, besides a bunch of petitions in the Supreme Court.

The Shiv Sena has a total of 22 MPs - 19 in Lok Sabha and three in Rajya Sabha. Of the 19 MPs in Lok Sabha, 18 are from Maharashtra and one from Dadra & Nagar Haveli.

Also read: Uddhav dubs Shinde as 'Ravan', latter calls him 'betrayer of Hindutva' as Sena vs Sena war intensifies

Among the 18 from the state, 12 have shown their allegiance towards Shinde, while all three Rajya Sabha members are with Thackeray.

In the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, of the 55 MLAs, the Shinde-faction commands 40, while the rest 15 are with Thackeray. In Maharashtra Legislative Council, the Shiv Sena has 12 MLCs and majority of them are with Thackeray-faction and veteran Shiv Sainik Ambadas Danve is the Leader of Opposition in Council.

In case the ECI freezes the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol, both sides have made their plan Bs ready. It appears that Shinde is mulling a sword, while Uddhav would go for a mace as their second option.

“This was evident from the two Dussehra rallies. Shinde, in fact, unveiled a huge 51-feet replica of a talwar (sword) and performed ‘shastra puja’. On the other hand, Thackeray’s team is mulling on a gada (mace)…and the word 'gada' was mentioned several times earlier also in speeches made by the Thackeray-faction,” said a senior political analyst, who observes the Shiv Sena closely.

“If the ECI freezes the symbol, the process of selection of a new symbol would start,” a source said.