'Mashaal' election symbol belongs to us, not Shiv Sena UBT: Samata Party

The allotment of the 'mashal' (flaming torch) election symbol to Shiv Sena UBT (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) by the Election Commission is being claimed by the Samata Party since its allotment to the Thackeray faction last year.

Samata Party has moved the Supreme Court, filing a plea to cancel the allotment of the election symbol to Uddhav Thackeray, arguing that this poll symbol was given to Samata Party and they contested elections in 2017 and 2022 on this election symbol. "Therefore, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) can't claim this election symbol," the party said.

The Supreme Court has listed the hearing on the issue of the election symbol for July 17.

Samata Party challenged the October 10, 2022, order of the Election Commission in the High Court, where it allotted the poll Symbol "mashaal" to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’ for the November 3 Andheri East Assembly bypoll. Samata Party leader Uday Mandal filed a plea in the High Court in October 2022, but the court dismissed the plea, claiming it had no right over deciding party symbols on October 20, 2022.

Samata Party National President Uday Mandal, in an exclusive interview with Republic, said, "We have challenged the EC’s ( Election Commission's) decision in the Supreme Court to get back our symbol. Uday Mandal said we will get back the Samata Party's election symbol the way Eknath Shinde got the 'bow and arrow' symbol of Shiv Sena. He further added that the Samata Party was formed in 1994 by Nitish Kumar and George Fernandes."

"In 2003, the Samata Party was split and then merged into the JD(U), but the Samata Party in the Uttar Pradesh Local Body Election 2022 was given this symbol, and now the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) also has the 'Flaming Torch or Mashal'. Both parties can't have the same symbol; this symbol is not a free symbol. Therefore, we have challenged the EC's order in the Supreme Court. The Samata Party will fight the 2024 elections on the same Poll Symbol. We have our vote bank in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and our fight in the Supreme Court will continue. There are many other Free symbols that EC could allot to Shivsena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray); we got this symbol before, so we have first right on this poll symbol."