Shiv Sena’s Poll Symbol ‘Bow & Arrow’ Should Go To Shinde Faction: Athawale

Mumbai: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said Shiv Sena’s poll symbol, ‘bow and arrow’, should go to Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led faction. He also expressed confidence that the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government will complete 2.5 years, after which the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra will win 200 seats.

Athawale told reporters, “Forty of Shiv Sena’s 55 MLAs are with Eknath Shinde, and Shiv Sena’s election symbol ‘bow and arrow’ should go to Shinde faction. I am sure he will claim the symbol as he has more than two-thirds of MLAs. The MLAs are with him.”

Athawale further said that the real Shiv Sena belongs to Eknath Shinde as he considers Balasaheb Thackeray as his leader and added that the Shinde camp can be identified as the original Shiv Sena due to the presence of a large number of MLAs.

News agency PTI quoted him as saying, “I think both the court and the Election Commission will give the original Shiv Sena status to the Shinde faction as they have such a large number of MLAs.”

The Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment dismissed reports that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was behind the rebellion in Shiv Sena.

39 Shiv Sena MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership resulting in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. BJP backed Shinde, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on June 30.

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