Eknath Shinde named Shiv Sena chief at the key party meeting
For the first time, a non-Thackeray entity commands the Shiv Sena party’s fortunes. Late on Tuesday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was anointed as the ‘Mukhya Neta‘ (Chief Leader) — Shinde presided over his party’s first-ever national executive in Mumbai.
Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) in an order said that the party name “Shiv Sena” and the symbol “Bow and Arrow” will be retained by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction.
The faction led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) has challenged the ECI move in the Supreme Court, with the hearing scheduled for Wednesday (February 22).
At the meeting, the Shiv Sena leaders, MPs, MLAs, and others unanimously authorized Shinde with the right to take all decisions on behalf of the party, Industry Minister Uday Samant later told media persons.
The new ‘Senapati‘ Shinde also informed the national executive that they would not stake a claim to the iconic Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar, spelling some relief to the Thackeray side.
The Shiv Sena Bhavan is near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park where the Shiv Sena was born in a modest way in 1966, the building was constructed in 1974 and is owned by the family trust of the Thackerays.
However, the party would demand a Bharat Ratna for the Hindutva icon Swatantryaveer Vinayak D Savarkar, renaming Churchgate station on Western Railway after the legendary economist, former Union minister, and first Indian Governor of Reserve Bank of India, Sir C D Deshmukh.
The party will also seek the inclusion of icons like Veermata Jijabai, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and Rani Ahilyabai Holkar in the list of ‘national personalities’.
Soon after the ECI move, the enraged Uddhav Thackeray said that “they may steal everything, the party name, poll symbols, its leaders, MPs, MLAs, etc., but the ‘thieves’ could never rob the magical ‘Thackeray’ name”, preparing for a legal fight.
[With Inputs from IANS]
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Let Udhav keep Thackeray name & give up rest of all things linked to Shiv Sena.
Soon the pointed end of the arrow will be up his fundament. The bow strings are wearing out.