Mumbai: Over seven months after a split, the Shiv Sena-UBT is beset with a fresh worry as the five-year tenure of party President Uddhav Thackeray is slated to end on Jan 23. Sena-UBT MP Anil Desai said that the party has written to the Election Commission seeking permission to hold organisational elections, including of the President and its national executive.
“Our lawyers have sought the ECI’s clearance to conduct the intra-party elections before the end of Mr Thackeray’s term as party chief. If the ECI has any reservations about this, then it should extend his tenure as party President until a final decision is taken,” he said.
After the split in June, the Shiv Sena-UBT and the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena are currently engaged in a bitter dispute before the EC for the party name (the original ‘Shiv Sena’) and its iconic symbol (bow and arrow).
Owing to certain exigencies, in October 2022, the ECI had given new names and symbols to the two factions – Shiv Sena-UBT got the symbol of a flaming torch and the BSS of two swords and a shield.
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