While it seems a major blow to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction, as it has lost its three-decade-old election symbol of ‘bow and arrow’ and addition of ‘Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’, the camp has expressed its satisfaction on Election Commission’s this decision.
However, the Uddhav Thackeray camp moved the Delhi High Court against EC’s decision that froze the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol and the party’s name, which have been well known in every household in Maharashtra.
Sources stated that the new symbol ‘mashaal’ and addition of ‘Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’ as part of its name is being seen as a grand victory by the faction.
What is the significance of ‘Mashaal’ (torch) in Sena?
It is not known fact that the ‘mashaal’ or the torch has a historical prominence for the Shiv Sena as a party and Bal Thackeray.
In 1980s when the situation was similar as today for the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party had locked horns with the BJP then as well.
The Shiv Sena had in the 1984-85 Lok Sabha election contested on the BJP’s symbol of the lotus. However, the relationship between the BJP and Sena went south after the elections and Bal Thackeray started hitting out at the BJP at every opportunity.
In the next elections, which was the Assembly polls, the Sena had got a temporary electoral symbol of ‘mashaal’. During that time, Bal Thackeray had published a cartoon he made hitting out at the BJP.
Shiv Sena had won Assembly polls in 1985 on the flaming torch logo with this the Sena had then got its first MLA Chhagan Bhujbal in the state.
Therefore, political analysts feel the new symbol and the name has a recall value and this would be an opportunity for the Sena to bounce back.
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