Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday expressed optimism that a new symbol could prove to be `revolutionary` for the party, revitalise and make it even stronger in future. Informally interacting with the mediapersons outside the court where he was brought for his bail case plea, Raut was asked for his reaction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) freezing the Sena`s iconic `bow and arrow` symbol and its name (Shiv Sena) last week.
"This is not the first time... In the past even Indira Gandhi had gone through a similar situation and the Congress symbol was frozen thrice and the Janata Dal also had been through one such experience," Raut said. On the freezing of the `Shiv Sena` party name by ECI (October 8), he said that it will make no difference as `the spirit of the party` remains the same, and the people already know who the party belongs to. "It won`t be so easy for the Group of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to get the Shiv Sena name and party symbol before the upcoming Andheri East by-elections... Entire Maharashtra is upset with the Shinde faction..." claimed Raut.