In an application written to the Election Commission (EC), the Eknath Shine faction stated Shiv Sena’s bow and arrow symbol may be misused by the Uddhav Thackeray group, requesting the EC to take an immediate decision on the symbol issues in view of the November 3 Andheri East assembly bypolls.
The Andheri East bypoll is the first after Shinde and the BJP unseated the MVA government in June, and is considered by political analysts as a precursor to settling of claims by Shinde and Thackeray to be the "real Shiv Sena".
The letter of the Shinde camp said, “The symbol in the present dispute is necessary for the upcoming bye-election and the petitioner apprehends that despite not having the requisite support within the Shiv Sena, the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray will illegally and unlawfully make an attempt to field a candidate and claim the allotted symbol.”
The Shinde faction also claimed that it also enjoys the overwhelming support of Sena leaders, deputy leaders, state sampark pramukhs, zilla sampark pramukhs, rajya pramukhs, secretaries, zilla pramukhs and the party’s elected members in the state legislature and Parliament as well as mayors and presidents of zilla parishads.