Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday welcomed the
Election Commission of India's decision to grant his faction of the Shiv
Sena the 'two swords and a shield' symbol, saying it was associated
with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and also the old Sena.
Their first choice was `the sun', Shinde told reporters in Mumbai.
"Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena is the Shiv Sena of the common man. We accept
this decision of the EC. We had given priority to the 'sun' symbol, but
it approved swords and shield. This is the symbol of the old Shiv
Sena...This is a Maharashtrian symbol. It is the symbol of Chhatrapati
Shivaji and his mavalas (soldiers)," he added.
Two swords and a
shield was one of the symbols the Shiv Sena, founded by Bal Thackeray,
used in the 1967-68 civic polls in Mumbai and elsewhere.
The
Shinde faction, now named as 'Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena', will be able to
use the new symbol in the November 3 Andheri East Assembly bypoll if it
decided to contest the election, though its ally Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to field
its own candidate against the Uddhav Thackeray faction's nominee. -- PTI
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