EC allows Shiv Sena (UBT) to accept public contributions

New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) The Election Commission on Thursday authorised the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) to accept voluntary contributions from public, days after it accepted a similar demand of NCP-Sharad Pawar.

In a communication issued on Thursday, the poll authority authorised the party to “accept any amount of contribution voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a government company” as per provisions of the Representation of the People Act which governs the contribution to all political parties.

The party had requested the Commission to issue a communication or certificate recording the status of the party for the purpose of accepting voluntary contributions from public.

A delegation of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) led by its general secretary Subhash Desai also met the Commission here Thursday.

Earlier, it had allowed the NCP-Sharad Pawar to accept public contributions.

In February last year, the Election Commission had recognised the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered allocation of the “bow and arrow” poll symbol to it, delivering a big blow to the rival camp led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, whose father Bal Thackeray founded the party in 1966.