Uddhav Thackeray wails upon losing Shiv Sena: 'Can't decide party fate based on MPs, MLAs'

Uddhav Thackeray, after losing the Shiv Sena party name and the 'bow and arrow' symbol, said the party's existence cannot be decided on number of MLAs and MPs or else any capitalist can purchase elected representatives and become chief minister. He also stated that ECI should not have given a decision before Supreme Court's verdict.

Addressing a press conference, Uddhav said, "I had said that ECI should not give a decision before the Supreme Court verdict. If a party's existence is decided based on a number of MLAs and MPs, any capitalist can purchase MLA, MP and become CM."

Uddhav said his faction will move the Supreme Court against Election Commission's order. "We are sure that the court will set aside this order and that the 16 MLAs will be disqualified," he said.

"They (the Shinde faction) should first understand Balasaheb. They have come to know that 'Modi' name doesn't work in Maharashtra so they've to put Balasaheb's mask on their face for their own benefit," he added

Balasaheb Thackeray's son claimed the Shinde faction has taken the 'bow and arrow' symbol because they want to win the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. "There is one bow and arrow on the paper and another which is alive," he said.

The Election Commission on Friday recognised Maharashtra CM Shinde's group as real Shiv Sena and allotted them the 'bow and arrow' symbol.

In a 78-page order, the Commission allowed Uddhav's faction to keep the "flaming torch" poll symbol allocated to it till the completion of the assembly byelections in the state. 

The poll body said MLAs backing Eknath Shinde got nearly 76 percent of votes polled in favour of the 55 winning Shiv Sena candidates in the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls while the Thackeray faction's MLAs got 23.5 percent of votes, the three-member Commission said in a unanimous order.