You can steal our party name, but can't steal Thackeray name: Uddhav Thackeray to Eknath Shinde

Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray. Pic/Ashish Raje

Reacting to Election Commission's decision to award 'Shiv Sena' name and poll symbol to Eknath Shinde's camp, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday called for dissolution of the election body.

"What was the need to give the decision in such a hurry. We have lost faith in the Election Commission," Thackeray said at a press conference at Sena Bhavan in Mumbai.

"The election commissioners should be elected and not appointed. There should be a proper procedure for election commissioners. A similar procedure is in practice when it comes to appointment of judges in the Supreme Court," he added.

"The BJP plans to finish off Shiv Sena, he said. "Stealing our party name and symbol are part of a larger conspiracy," Thackeray said.

He further said that The name and symbol of our party have been stolen but the name 'Thackeray' cannot be stolen. "We have moved the Supreme Court against the decision given by the Election Commission, the hearing will start from tomorrow," he added.

"The poll panel's decision to "hand over" Shiv Sena name and symbol (to CM Eknath Shinde) is absolutely wrong. The decision should have been based on the timeline of incidents," he said.

Also Read: Shiv Sena legislative party office at Vidhan Bhavan belongs to us: Shinde faction leader

"The Commission had asked us to submit affidavits and list of party workers. We filed lakhs of affidavits, spent lakhs of rupees to submit them. But the EC completely ignored the same while ruling on the party name and symbol," he said.

Thackeray said he has received calls from NCP chief Sharad Pawar and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee extending their support. He said he missed a call with Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

Earlier today, Uddhav Thackeray held an urgent meeting with his close associates at the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai to decide their future course of action, specially after losing the 'Shiv Sena' name and poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Leaders close to Thackeray, including Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, Subhash Desai, Anil Desai and Anil Parab, were present in the meeting held at the Sena Bhavan located in Dadar area.

Thackeray has also invited several district level leaders of his camp to discuss the future course of action.

The Election Commission on Friday recognised the Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered allocation of the 'bow and arrow' poll symbol to it, in the process delivering a big blow to Uddhav Thackeray, whose father Bal Thackeray founded the outfit in 1966.

The EC allowed the Thackeray faction to retain the name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the 'flaming torch' poll symbol, given to it in an interim order in October last year, till the conclusion of the upcoming Assembly bypolls in the state.

Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had on Sunday said all political parties need to open their eyes and remain cautious in the wake of the Election Commission's decision of recognising the faction led by CM Eknath Shinde as the real Shiv Sena.

(With inputs from PTI)