A Thackeray without his Sena

In A development that could have significant and farreaching repercussions on Maharashtra politics the Election Commission of India ECI on Friday declared the Eknath Shinde faction as the Shiv Sena and also allotted it the popular bowandarrow election symbol This comes as a major victory for the breakaway rebel group which appropriated power in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party last June by bringing down the unusual NCPCongressShiv Sena alliance governmentThe Shiv Sena has suffered breaks more than once over its lifetime including one inflicted by Thackerayrsquos cousin Raj but its hold over the cadre or the official name or symbol was never in dangerUddhav ThackerayEver since it became clear mid last year that Shinde had the support of up to 40 elected representatives Thackerayrsquos ownership of the official party name and symbol came under threat The Shinde group and the BJP welcomed the decision calling it a victory of the Sena founder Balasaheb Thackerayrsquos ideology The ECI cited precedents previous cases the number of elected representatives in each faction and some contested points in the Shiv Sena partyrsquos constitutionAlso Read EC decision proves that Shinde is leader of real Shiv Sena says FadnavisCM Shinde described the Election Commissionrsquos decision as a victory of truth and the party founder Balasaheb Thackerays ideology Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the decision established that Shinde was the real leader of the Shiv Sena ldquoI thank the Election Commissionrdquo said Shinde ldquoMajority counts in a democracy Ours is the true Shiv Sena This is the victory of truth and people as well as Balasahebrsquos blessings he saidlsquoFatal for democracyrsquoThe ECI order is a big blow for the Thackerayled faction which claimed it was the original Sena that believed in the founderrsquos ideology and had the popular support of the common peopleUddhav Thackeray alleged a conspiracy and said constitutional bodies have been misused ldquoThe order is fatal for democracy and unexpected It will be good if the PM declares from the Red Fort the end of democracy and the beginning of a dictatorshiprdquo he said reacting to the orderCM Eknath Shinde with the bow and arrow he was gifted earlier this monthHe said his party will move the Supreme Court against the ECI order adding that it was time the appointments to the ECI were made applying the methods used for the higher judiciary like high court and Supreme Court judgesldquoThey Shinde and BJP are on weak ground and I have challenged them to hold elections but they havenrsquotrdquo he said ldquoNow I suspect the elections BMC and other local bodies will be declared in a couple of months They want to give their bosses in Delhi the Mumbai Corporation on a platterrdquoStart from scratchThe Thackeray group which was given the interim name Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the symbol of flamingtorch has been allowed to retain them only till the completion of the Chinchwad and Kasba assembly bypolls to be held later this monthThis means if the appeal doesnrsquot pass muster in the Supreme Court Uddhav Thackeray will be left with no other option but to start from scratch by forming a new party and applying for a new symbol The Shinde grouprsquos interim name Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and symbol of twoswordsandshield have been now frozen by the ECIFriday bombshellThe ECI released the order of Friday evening hours after the Supreme Court scheduled a lsquodecisiversquo hearing in the matters related to the Sena split for February 21 after telling the petitioners that the existing fivemember bench will continue with case instead of a sevenmember bench as demanded by the Thackeray groupThe SC had earlier said that the matters of election symbol and official party status have to be heard by the ECI because it was its constitutional job but also suggested that the petitioners if aggrieved in the ECI may appeal before the apex courtA daunting challenge As it awaits proceedings in the Supreme Court over its proposed appeal the Thackeray group now has the uphill task in its hands with all major cities expected to go to local body polls this year while the Assembly and general elections are slated for 2024 Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats which will be crucial for any party or alliance wanting to win the national electionsBut the most crucial battlefield perhaps for Thackeray would be the Mumbai civic corporation which his party has held for over two decades and gives the family and the party their legitimacySo what is in store for the Uddhav faction There was a resigned hint in his speech on Friday night He said the ldquoslave of the governmentrdquo which could mean the ECI in this context will next take away even their interim election symbol the flaming torchldquoWe donrsquot fear anyone The people know the real Sena Let the thieves celebrate Their celebrations will be shortlivedrdquo he said adding that the bow and arrow might have been taken away by a piece of paper but he still held the lsquoreal bow and arrowrsquo which will give him a Ramlike victoryShinde reacted sharply to Uddhavrsquos lsquothieves jibersquo He said it was Uddhav who had mortgaged lsquobow and arrowrsquo to the NCP and Congress in 2019 which he had retained on Friday for the Shiv sainiks ldquoCalling 40 MLAs 13 MPs and thousands of other elected representatives and voters is their insult Wersquore a majorityrdquoMurder of democracy RautHis deputy Sanjay Raut said the Election Commissionrsquos decision was a ldquomurder of democracyrdquo The decision was on expected lines said Congress leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan adding that the poll panel has considered the legislative and Parliamentary majority ldquoIt was expected that the EC would rule in a particular manner to help the ruling partyrdquo he said ldquoUddhav Thackeray should move the appropriate appellate court against the ECs decision as he enjoys wide support at the district and taluka levelsrdquoName gone all goneMNS president and Thackerayrsquos estranged cousin Raj posted a cryptic tweet that raised many an eyebrow He said it ldquohas been proven yet again that Balasahebrsquos words have proven accuraterdquo The post had an archival clip of Balasaheb where he says that money comes and goes but a name once lost can never be regained ldquoOne cannot buy it in the grey market hence preserving the name is very importantrdquo the clip said