A day after the Election Commission of India (ECI) froze the name and election symbol of Shiv Sena causing a setback to Shinde and Uddhav factions, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maharashtra former Chief Minister Sharad Pawar said that he is not surprised by the poll body's decision.
Speaking to reporters over EC's interim decision to freeze the 'Bow & Arrow' symbol of 'Shiv Sena', NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said, "I am not at all surprised by this decision. I was expecting this to happen... I don't have any proof to say that it is being done on purpose but I had a gut feeling that this would happen." He further said that there is no option for Uddhav Thackeray's faction but to fight the elections with a new party symbol. "Shiv Sena has no option left but to face the elections with a new party symbol," the NCP chief said.
The NCP chief said that it doesn't matter on which symbol parties contest the election as only the people decide whom to support. "Even I had contested on several symbols like Bullocks pair, Avow and Calf, Charkha, Panjaa and then Clock... It doesn't really matter on which symbol you contest but only people decide whom to support," Sharad Pawar said.