Shiv Sena founded by my father not EC says Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday targeted the Election Commission over allotting the party's name and symbol to the rebel faction and termed the poll body a "slave" of people in power.Dubbing the Election Commission a "chuna lagav" commission weeks after losing the party name and election symbol "bow and arrow" to the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Mr Thackeray said the poll body can never take away the party, founded by his father late Bal Thackeray, from him.

He said it was Bal Thackeray who stood with the Bharatiya Janata Party when it was politically "untouchable", and dared the former ally to seek votes in Maharashtra only in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi without invoking the Thackeray senior. You (the Election Commission) have taken away the party name and the symbol from us, but you can't take away Shiv Sena from me," the former chief minister said pointing out a huge turnout at a rally, his first after losing the party name and election symbol."I have nothing to offer to you. I have come to seek your blessings and support," he told the gathering. Thackeray said he didn't accept the EC's decision."If the Election Commission is not suffering from cataract, it should come and see the ground situation. The EC is a 'chuna lagav' commission and a slave of those in power. The principle based on which the EC took this decision is wrong,' he said.