Samata Party Meets Eknath Shinde After Team Uddhav Gets Its Poll Symbol

Samata Party representatives from Bihar met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to ask for his assistance in reclaiming their “mashaal” (flaming flame) election symbol, which had been given to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena party.

On Tuesday evening, the group visited Mr. Shinde at his office in Thane under the direction of the party’s president, Uday Mandal. The city-based office of Eknath Shinde issued a release with this information.

After identifying the Eknath Shinde-led group as the legitimate Shiv Sena and awarding it the “bow and arrow” insignia, the Election Commission (EC) called the meeting a few days later. Also, it decided that the Sena party lead by Uddhav Thackeray will continue to use the “flaming torch” symbol till the conclusion of the Kasba Peth and Chinchwad Assembly byelections in Pune district, which are slated for February 26.

The team informed Shinde that the Samata Party was a venerable political group from Bihar and that their electoral symbol was a “mashaal” (flaming torch). But, following the change in Maharashtra’s government, the EC gave it to the Shiv Sena group headed by Uddhav Thackeray, according to the press release.

In order to regain their symbol, the delegation also informed Shinde that they will appeal the Election Commission’s ruling before the Supreme Court.

The delegation asked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for assistance in recovering the Samata Party’s electoral symbol in a similar fashion to how his group acquired the “bow and arrow” sign.

The spokesperson for the Shinde camp, Maharashtra cabinet member Deepak Kesarkar, stated on Tuesday that his group has no interest in acquiring the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Mumbai or any other properties connected to the opposing camp led by Uddhav Thackeray.

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