BJP made bow-and-arrow symbol disappear from many parts of Maharashtra: Sena (UBT)

Mumbai, Apr 5 (PTI) The Shiv Sena (UBT) has accused the BJP of making the bow-and-arrow symbol disappear from many parts of Maharashtra after the saffron party started claiming the seats that were earlier contested by the undivided Shiv Sena.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ on Friday, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) said the undivided Shiv Sena used to contest in 23 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra on its bow-and-arrow symbol. Sena (UBT), which is a part of the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi, also claimed that the BJP high command was behind the move not to repeat many sitting Shiv Sena MPs.

The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has not renominated Bhavana Gawli, Krupal Tumane and Hemant Patil, sitting MPs from Yavatmal-Washim, Ramtek and Hingoli.

“But the Shinde group (Shiv Sena) is not even getting half of the seats now (in the seat-sharing agreement) and the BJP has made the bow-and-arrow symbol disappear in four-five seats,” the editorial said.

Shiv Sena, BJP and Ajit Pawar-led NCP are part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance in the state. The Sena (UBT) alleged that the BJP also made the bow-and-arrow symbol disappear in Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri, a seat traditionally represented by the Bal Thackeray-founded party but is now being claimed by the saffron outfit.

The editorial wondered if Shiv Sena’s symbol will endure in Kalyan and Thane, the bastions of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. His son Shrikant Shinde is the sitting MP from Kalyan. “There is a remote possibility that those being nominated for the Lok Sabha polls will win. So the BJP has erased the historic bow-and-arrow symbol from the political scene of Maharashtra,” the editorial added.

The Sena (UBT), which got the ‘flaming torch’ symbol, has so far announced candidates for 21 seats. The Shinde-led Sena has declared candidates in nine seats, the BJP 24, the NCP four and its ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha in one constituency. Candidates for ten seats are yet to be announced by the Mahayuti. The 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will go to polls in five phases between April 19 and May 20 and votes will be counted on June 4.