EC can give election symbols, but it can’t give my father’s name to anyone, says Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said that it was his “good fortune” that the Election Commission  hadn’t given the name “Uddhav Thackeray to him (CM Eknath Shinde)”.“People talk about dynasties. Let them talk. Yes, I’m from a dynasty. But it's our good fortune that the EC hasn’t given him (Eknath Shinde) the name Uddhav Thackeray. You never know, one day they will say that my name is something else and his name is Uddhav Thackeray. No one has the right to change names. The EC definitely doesn’t have this right. The EC can give election symbols, but it can’t give my father’s name to anyone else. We will not accept it. I did what I could while being the Chief Minister and the people of Maharashtra accepted me. I am honored to be a member of the Maharashtra family. That is my lifetime earning,” Uddhav said.

Earlier Uddhav Thackeray had said Maharashtra will bid adieu to the Eknath Shinde-led government on December 31. His remark came a day after the Supreme Court directed Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to pass order by December 31 on the disqualification petitions filed by the Thackeray faction and the rival Shiv Sena led by Shinde against each other's MLAs. The MVA government led by Thackeray collapsed in June last year following a rebellion by Mr Shinde and several MLAs.Eknath Shinde later took oath as the chief minister with the support of the BJP.