Election Commission has no right to ‘steal’ our party name, says Uddhav Thackeray

NAGPUR: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said the Election Commission (EC) can allot an electoral symbol to a party, but it does not have powers to change its name.

Speaking in Amravati district as part of his second-day Vidarbha tour, the former chief minister said, “The name Shiv Sena – was given by my grandfather Prabodhankar Thackeray in 1966 and my father Balasaheb made it popular. No one, even the election commission, has the right to steal it. How can it be given to other parties?”

On July 31, the Supreme Court (SC) will hear against the Election Commission’s decision to allot the name Shiv Sena and “Dhanushyaban” (Bow and Arrow) symbol to Eknath Shinde-led faction. The EC had on February 17 ordered that the Shinde camp of the Sena will retain the official name and the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol of the party.

The EC allowed Uddhav’s party to retain the name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the ‘flaming torch’ poll symbol, given to it in an interim order last year.

Thackeray said the election commission has constitutional powers to ensure that political parties do not engage in any malpractices in elections and may decide on the poll symbol but not the name. “We accept these rights; however, the EC has no right to take a decision regarding the name given to the party by my grandfather and father,” he said.

Ridiculing the EC, Thackeray said, “If the election commission gives the name Shiv Sena to others, we will also change the name of the election commission.”

Thackeray also said, the government used to be formed through ballot boxes once, but now, unfortunately, the power is coming from money and muscle. Citing the example of the imposition of Emergency (1975-77) in the country, Thackeray said, despite this, the then government allowed the opposition parties to campaign for the general elections “Literary figures like PL Deshpande, Durga Bhagwat also campaigned and the Janata Party’s government was formed. I wonder whether that much freedom is left in the country during the present time,” he said.

Thackeray said that his father Balasaheb Thackeray had once demanded the right to recall in the country long ago and that demand would seem very appropriate going by the present political situation in the country. “Now after the monsoon ends, the battle of elections will start in the country. Against this backdrop, I have set out on a tour of the whole of Maharashtra to meet the Shiv Sainiks who truly love Shiv Sena and who are with me at all times,” he said.

The Sena (UBT) chief said that he never wanted to be the chief minister, but wanted the post for the Shiv Sena as he had promised to his father Balasaheb Thackeray. He said the BJP is enjoying power by misusing central agencies like CBI, ED and others. “They (BJP) do not have confidence. They are afraid that if we are elected, they will be finished. Thus, they believe that there should not be any other political parties. The ED, CBI and other agencies are being used to harass opponents,” Uddhav alleged and challenged the BJP that if they are really genuine, keep these systems (central agencies) aside and come to the battlefield to face the challenge.

Thackeray’s arrival in Amravati saw tensions as the rival party supporters removed Sena (UBT) posters put up across the city to welcome him. When Thackeray was asked about this, he refrained from commenting.