A Thackeray without his Sena

Uddhav Thackeray addresses the media at Matoshree on Friday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar (right) CM Eknath Shinde with the bow and arrow he was gifted at his birthday celebration in Thane earlier this month. Pic/Satej Shinde

In A development that could have significant and far-reaching 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 bow-and-arrow 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 NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena alliance government.

The Shiv Sena has suffered breaks more than once over its lifetime, including one inflicted by Thackeray's cousin Raj, but its hold over the cadre or the official name or symbol was never in danger.

Uddhav Thackeray

Ever since it became clear mid last year that Shinde had the support of up to 40 elected representatives, Thackeray's 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 Thackeray's ideology. The ECI cited precedents, previous cases, the number of elected representatives in each faction, and some contested points in the Shiv Sena party's constitution.

Also Read: EC decision proves that Shinde is leader of real Shiv Sena, says Fadnavis

CM Shinde described the Election Commission's decision as a victory of truth and the party founder Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the decision established that Shinde was the real leader of the Shiv Sena. "I thank the Election Commission," said Shinde. "Majority counts in a democracy. Ours is the true Shiv Sena. This is the victory of truth and people as well as Balasaheb's blessings, he said.

‘Fatal for democracy'

The ECI order is a big blow for the Thackeray-led faction, which claimed it was the original Sena that believed in the founder's ideology and had the popular support of the common people.

Uddhav Thackeray alleged a conspiracy and said constitutional bodies have been misused. "The 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 dictatorship," he said, reacting to the order.

CM Eknath Shinde with the bow and arrow he was gifted earlier this month

He 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 judges).

"They [Shinde and BJP] are on weak ground and I have challenged them to hold elections, but they haven't," he said. "Now 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 platter."

Start from scratch

The Thackeray group, which was given the interim name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the symbol of flaming-torch has been allowed to retain them only till the completion of the Chinchwad and Kasba assembly by-polls to be held later this month.

This means if the appeal doesn't 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 group's interim name Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena and symbol of two-swords-and-shield have been now frozen by the ECI.

Friday bombshell

The ECI released the order of Friday evening, hours after the Supreme Court scheduled a ‘decisive' hearing in the matters related to the Sena split for February 21, after telling the petitioners that the existing five-member bench will continue with case, instead of a seven-member bench as demanded by the Thackeray group.

The 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 court.

A 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 elections.

But 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 legitimacy.

So, what is in store for the Uddhav faction? There was a resigned hint in his speech on Friday night. He said the "slave of the government" which could mean the ECI in this context, will next take away even their interim election symbol, the flaming torch.

"We don't fear anyone. The people know the real Sena. Let the thieves celebrate. Their celebrations will be short-lived," he said, adding that the bow and arrow might have been taken away by a piece of paper, but he still held the ‘real bow and arrow', which will give him a Ram-like victory.

Shinde reacted sharply to Uddhav's ‘thieves jibe'. He said it was Uddhav who had mortgaged ‘bow and arrow' to the NCP and Congress in 2019, which he had retained on Friday for the Shiv sainiks. "Calling 40 MLAs, 13 MPs and thousands of other elected representatives and voters is their insult. We're a majority."

Murder of democracy: Raut

His deputy Sanjay Raut said the Election Commission's decision was a "murder of democracy." 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. "It was expected that the EC would rule in a particular manner to help the ruling party," he said. "Uddhav Thackeray should move the appropriate appellate court against the EC's decision as he enjoys wide support at the district and taluka levels."

Name gone, all gone

MNS president and Thackeray's estranged cousin, Raj posted a cryptic tweet that raised many an eyebrow. He said it "has been proven yet again that Balasaheb's words have proven accurate." 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. "One cannot buy it in the grey market; hence preserving the name is very important," the clip said.