Still to recover from an unprecedented rebellion within his party leading to the exit of the 40 out of its total 55 MLAs, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said here on Friday that no one can take away the Sena's registered "bow and arrow" symbol from the party and the question of him thinking about symbol did not arise.
Talking to media persons at his “Matoshri” residence amid ongoing efforts by the Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to move the Election Commission to claim the party’s “bow and arrow” symbol, Uddhav said: “No can take away `bow and arrow’ symbol from the Shiv Sena... I am saying this after holding consultations with law and constitutional experts... Hence , the question of the Sena looking for a new symbol does not arise”.
Rubbishing the claims in certain political circles that the original Sena led by him was as good as “finished” after the recent rebellion triggered by Shinde, Uddhav said: “Supposing we had only one MLA, he leaves the party. Does it mean that the party is finished? Even if 100 to 150 MLAs leave the party, the party is not finished. The party will function as before”.
“An effort is being made by our rivals to create a misconception among the people that the parent Sena is as good as over. The Legislature party is different from the registered party. Hence on the basis of the legislature party’s strength, no one can snatch away our party symbol from us,” the Sena president said.Uddhav said that with the expiry of their terms, there were no elected bodies in any of the municipal corporations in the state. “Hence those who have left the party are no longer corporators now.... Shiv Sena does not face any threat. No one can run away with the party. The Shiv Sena is a party that has grown on the streets,” the former Chief Minister said.
Alluding to his party’s plea in the Supreme Court challenging the appointment of Eknath Shinde as chief minister of Maharashtra, “The Supreme Court will hear our plea on July 11. The case is important from the point of view of the existence or otherwise of democracy in the country. Its verdict will decide whether the country runs as per the Constitution or not. I have huge faith in the country’s judiciary”.