Uddhav Thackeray loses Shiv Sena's name and symbol;
what are the prospects?

Uddhav Thackeray, the Ex. Maharashtra CM and former Shiv Sena chief is going through the most challenging time ever in his political career.

In a latest big blow to Uddhav Thackeray, the Election Commission has allotted the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol' bow and arrow' to the Shiv Sena's rebel breakaway group led by incumbent Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The development comes at a crucial time when the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena is going through its most challenging time as the party was never at such a lowest point as it has been after the June 2022 incident where Eknath Shinde (A tall Shiv Sena leader), the urban development minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the coalition Govt. of Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress, had triggered an upright split in the Shiv Sena and walked out with 39 of 56 MLAs and 13 of 19 Lok Sabha MPs and joined hands with the BJP to form the Government in Maharashtra.

Eknath Shinde has styled himself as the 'mukhya neta' or chief leader of Shiv Sena and claimed his faction is the real Shiv Sena which ECI declared on Friday.

The ECI had issued an interim order freezing the Shiv Sena symbol and name after the split in Shiv Sena in 2022. The Uddhav Thackeray group had picked up Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) - SS (UBT) and the 'Mashaal' (flaming torch) symbol, while the Shinde group had opted for Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS) and a shield with two swords.

The EC was in the process of hearing the claims made by the two factions over the name of Shiv Sena and the bow-and-arrow symbol. It has now been decided by the ECI which faction of Shiv Sena deserves to retain the name and symbol of "Shiv Sena," which has been allotted to Eknath Shinde groups based on the majority of incumbent MPs and MLAs.

The 3-member Commission announced it had relied on the party's numerical strength in the legislative wing, where the CM Eknath Shinde enjoyed the support of 40 of the 55 Shiv Sena MLAs and 13 of the 18 Lok Sabha members.

Thackeray's faction Senior leader and MP - Sanjay Raut said, "such a decision was expected, don't have faith in Election Commission" on the poll panel's decision to recognize CM Eknath Shinde's faction as real Shiv Sena.

"This announcement comes at a crucial time when both groups are preparing for the upcoming BMC elections, which is the richest Municipal corporation in India. The BMC elections are considered high-stakes elections, and this decision may, either way, impact the result of the BMC elections as the Shinde group looks the strongest one now, whereas the Thackeray group is pouring in people's sympathy across the state. Politics is always unpredictable, but this decision at a crucial time has turned this battle of power into the most unpredictable one. The upcoming BMC elections can be proved as watershed moment for Uddav Thackeray as Shiv Sena has been ruling BMC for the last 25 years. Either the Uddav Thackeray group would emerge back victorious or may lose for forever to Eknath Shinde group," said Rehan Rajput Political Analyst.