Uddhav Thackeray writes letter to EC alleging bias in deciding party name and symbol

The former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written a 12-point letter to Election Commission (EC) alleging bias in favour of the rival Eknath Shinde camp in deciding party name and symbol.

Uddhav Thackeray in its letter to EC stated that “Several communications and actions of ECI have given rise to a serious apprehension of bias in the mind of the respondent".

The letter said the Election Commission shared “privileged communication" by uploading Team Thackeray’s choice of names and symbols on the election body’s website “possibly even before [Team Shinde] had submitted his own list". “This allowed Team Shinde to copy the choices that Team Thackeray had suggested," the letter added.

The 'flaming torch' (mashaal) and 'two swords and a shield' symbols were allotted to the factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde by the Election Commission.