EC allots 'two swords and shield' symbol to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde (Image: PTI/File)

The Election Commission (EC) of India on October 11 allotted the "two swords and shield" symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena.

The poll panel's decision came a day after it granted the flaming torch symbol to the rival Sena faction, headed by Uddhav Thackeray.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Shinde faction submitted three symbols to the EC for allotment, which included 'sun', 'peepal tree' and 'swords and shield'.

"The commission has decided to declare 'Do Talwarein aur Ek Dhal (two swords and shield)' to be a free symbol and allots it as the symbol to be allotted to the candidate set up, if any, by your group in the current bye-elections," the polling body said in a release.

Shiv Sena's original electoral symbol of bow and arrow has been frozen by the commission till the legal dispute between Thackeray and Shinde, over the party's control, is addressed.

In view of the Andheri East assembly bypoll on November 3, both the sides acted in an expeditious manner to adopt an interim name and party symbol.

Thackeray faction's proposal to call itself ShivSena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) was approved by the EC on October 10, and the Shinde-led faction has been assigned the name of Balasahebachi ShivSena.

The party faced a split in June, after more than 40 out of its 55 MLAs turned rebel against Thackeray, the incumbent Sena president.

Following the rebellion, Thackeray resigned ahead of a floor test which he was poised to lose. Shinde, with support from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), took oath as the new Maharashtra chief minister on June 30.