New Delhi: Disputes over the newly-assigned election symbols of the 2 Shiv Sena factions proceed, with the Samata Get together shifting the Delhi Excessive Court docket Saturday over the mashaal (flaming torch) image assigned to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena — Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray celebration by the Election Fee (EC) earlier this week.
The Samata Get together, which was derecognised by the EC in 2004, had additionally filed a grievance to the Fee over its “unique image” being assigned to Uddhav’s celebration.
The Samata Get together was fashioned in 1994 by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the late chief, George Fernandes. In 2003, Fernandes introduced its merger with the Janata Dal (United), however the thought was opposed by the celebration’s MP, Brahmanand Mandal.
The Election Fee too didn’t formally recognise the merger, and the Samata Get together was derecognised in 2004. The Election Fee can derecognise a celebration if it doesn’t obtain no less than six per cent of votes or win a minimal of two seats in state elections.
For nationwide events, it’s necessary to have acquired a minimal of six per cent votes and to have MLAs in no less than 4 states.
Whereas earlier derecognised events would lose their symbols, the EC modified the foundations in 1997 to permit the events to order their image.
Samata Get together president Uday Mandal instructed ThePrint that the image of mashaal was reserved by the Samata Get together, and it was freed simply in a day with out informing the celebration, and allotted to Uddhav Thackeray’s celebration.
“We weren’t notified by the EC that our reserved image was being allotted to a different celebration. We’re making ready for Bihar elections sooner or later and we’d want our unique image,” stated Mandal.
He added: “The EC didn’t reply to our grievance, which was filed two days in the past. So now we’re approaching the Delhi Excessive Court docket with a plea to allow us to retain our unique image.” In accordance with the celebration chief, after being derecognised they’d fought some state elections utilizing the ‘battery torch’ and ‘air conditioner’ symbols, whereas the mashaal remained reserved.
ThePrint reached the Election Fee spokesperson over cellphone for touch upon the dispute over the symbols, however acquired no response until the time of publication of this report.
In the meantime, the spokesperson of the Shiv Sena — Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray celebration, Manisha Kayande, stated that perhaps the Samata celebration is making an attempt to return to the image and really feel related. “They had been derecognised in 2004, so perhaps they’re this as a possibility to get recognised amongst folks. The mashaal image was allotted to us by the Election Fee and so they will need to have verified earlier than allocating the election image,” she instructed ThePrint.
Mandal on his half clarified that the Samata Get together wished the EC or the judiciary to be aware of their objection on the image as a result of the Andheri by-polls in Mumbai are scheduled for subsequent month, and if as soon as Uddhav’s celebration fought the elections with the mashaal image, it could be troublesome for the Samata Get together to assert it again.
Additionally learn: Smarting over Shinde revolt, Uddhav makes peace with Sena’s first insurgent, Chhagan Bhujbal
Sikh group claims Shinde celebration image resembles Khalsa image
Not simply the Uddhav’s celebration. The insurgent faction of the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which has been named the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and allotted the election image of ‘two sword and a protect’, has drawn the ire of a Sikh group from Nanded, which claimed it resembles the Khalsa image.
The Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’s unique demand for a “trishul” or “gada (mace)” as an emblem had been turned down by the EC because of their non secular connotations.
Now, Ranjit Singh Kamthekar, former secretary of Sachkhand Gurudwara Board in Nanded, has reportedly despatched a letter to the Election Fee that the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena image shouldn’t be used as an election image because it resembles the non secular image of the Khalsa neighborhood.
Whereas no response has been acquired by ThePrint from the EC as talked about above, the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena spokesperson, Naresh Mhaske, instructed ThePrint, nevertheless, and stated each image has some historic or non secular significance.
“It was allotted to us by the EC. We anyway wished the unique ‘teer and kamaan’ (image of the Shiv Sena), however the battle will proceed. It is a short-term image and we’d attempt our greatest to get the ‘teer and kamaan’ as our election image,” he stated.
In June, Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde led a revolt of Sena MLAs to topple the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) authorities — an alliance of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Get together and the Congress — and are available to energy in partnership with the Bharatiya Janata Get together (BJP).
Whereas each events had laid declare to the Shiv Sena title and its “bow and arrow” image, the EC had requested the 2 to decide on alternate names and symbols as an alternative.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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