Days after the Election Commission of India (ECI) allowed the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) to accept voluntary contributions from the public ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, now Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has got a similar nod.
Both the parties were divided into two factions in the last couple of years and the rebel group got the ECI’s approval to keep the original symbol and name, forcing the then party chiefs to form a new political group, as their respective name suggests.
In a letter, issued on Thursday, the ECI said it considered the party’s letter dated July 10 where the party requested the commission to issue a communication/certificate to accept voluntary contributions from the public under Section 29B of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
“After having considered your letter dated 10.07.2024, the ECI hereby authorises, on an interim basis, “Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)” to accept any amount of contribution voluntarily offered to it by any person or company other than a Government company’,” the commission said.
The ECI also stated that this authorisation to the party to accept contribution for ensuring elections would remain applicable in the period till the final disposal of the petition SLP (C) 3997 of 2023 in Supreme Court and would, thereafter, be dealt accordingly.
In February 2023, the ECI allotted the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to the Eknath Shinde camp paving the way for it to be the “real Shiv Sena”. The Uddhav Thackeray-led team will continue to be ‘Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)’ with the poll symbol of a ‘flaming torch’ for now, the order had said. Thackeray had challenged this order in the apex court.
All political parties have to disclose the contributions they received above Rs 20,000 in a financial year to the poll body.
NCP-SP got a similar letter on July 8. https://www.news18.com/politics/election-commission-allows-sharad-pawars-ncp-to-accept-public-contributions-ahead-of-maharashtra-polls-8958896.html
Just like Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP-SP is also fighting in the Supreme Court for the original name and symbols.
In February 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the poll body announced the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP, while asking the party’s founder Sharad Pawar to look for a new name for his outfit ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra.
The other faction then came up with the name NCP-SP. However, Sharad Pawar challenged the ECI’s decision to grant the official “clock” symbol of the NCP to Ajit Pawar’s group. The matter is still sub-judice.
With both its factions, NCP and Shiv Sena are important regional parties from Maharashtra, where elections are scheduled to be held around October-November. The four parties also fought the Lok Sabha polls in the state.
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