New Delhi: The Election Fee of India (ECI) on Saturday (July 23, 2022) requested the rival factions of the Shiv Sena, led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde, to submit paperwork in assist of their claims on the election image of the political outfit by proving that they’ve the bulk members within the Shiv Sena. The ECI additionally despatched to the Thackeray camp the letter written to them (EC) by the Shinde faction and Thackeray camp`s letter to the Shinde faction and sought replies from each the camps by August 8.
Sources in ECI knowledgeable that the 2 sides have been requested to submit paperwork, together with letters of assist from the legislative and organisational wings of the celebration and the written statements of the rival factions. They mentioned the requirement have been made according to the Paragraph 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.
Earlier this week, the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena had written to the Fee searching for allocation of the celebration’s ‘bow and arrow’ election image to it, citing the popularity granted to them within the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra Meeting.
The Shiv Sena break up final month when greater than two-thirds of the celebration’s MLAs withdrew their assist from the Maharashtra authorities led by Uddhav Thackeray, throwing their lot with Shinde.
Shinde was sworn in as Maharashtra Chief Minister on June 30 with assist of the BJP.
On Tuesday final, at the very least 12 of the 18 Shiv Sena members within the Lok Sabha expressed ‘no confidence’ in flooring chief Vinayak Raut and declared Rahul Shewale as their flooring chief.
Lok Sabha Speaker recognised Shewale because the chief the identical day.
To make sure that neither faction is disadvantaged of data, the ballot panel has additionally directed alternate of paperwork submitted by the 2 teams over the previous two days.
“That is the preliminary step, listening to might come a lot later,” defined a former EC official.
The declare over the image assumes significance because the Supreme Courtroom had on Wednesday directed the Maharashtra State Election Fee to inform elections to native our bodies inside two weeks.
Elections are due in a number of civic our bodies in Maharashtra, together with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Company (BMC), which might point out which Sena faction will get the favored assist.
Earlier, the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena had written to the EC, requesting it to listen to its views earlier than making any determination on representations for claims over the celebration identify and its ballot image.
(With PTI inputs)