Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has slammed the Election Commission's decision to award the Shiv Sena name and the "bow and arrow" symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, saying he has never seen such a decision from the poll body.
"Certain organisations have a responsibility to deal fairly with everyone," Mr Pawar said. "You must have seen a few days ago, the Election Commission gave a decision... have you ever seen the Election Commission take away the total control of one political party and give it to another? Never saw the EC take away total control of one party," Mr Pawar told reporters today.
Mr Pawar had earlier advised ally Uddhav Thackeray to move on and "take a new symbol".
"Once a decision is given (by the Election Commission), there can be no discussion... It (the loss of the old symbol) is not going to have any major impact as people will accept (the new symbol). It just would remain in the discussion for the next 15-30 days, that's it," Mr Pawar had said.
He had later told the media that he does not wish to get more involved in the controversy.
His comments today come as the Supreme Court said today that the Shiv Sena name and its election symbol will remain with Eknath Shinde's camp, and the "mashaal" or flaming torch symbol with Uddhav Thackeray for now.
Team Thackeray has gone to the Supreme Court, contending that the Election Commission has failed to consider that they enjoy majority in the Legislative Council and Rajya Sabha.
Instead, the Commission has based its decision on the purported legislative majority of the Shinde group, which is "not a safe guide". Whether the Shinde group will retain its numbers "is an issue to be determined by the top court in the Constitution Bench," said the Thackeray faction.