Mumbai, September 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that the Election Commission of India’s decision to recognise the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as Shiv Sena and allot it the party’s traditional ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol was a multi-hundred-crore scam.
Speaking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP accused the Election Commission of functioning under political pressure and alleged that it had compromised its constitutional independence.
Raut claimed that the poll panel had been acting like a “domestic servant” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the past 10-12 years. He alleged that political pressure had prevented the Commission from delivering what he described as justice to the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray.
The Election Commission had, in February 2023, recognised the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and allotted it the ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol. The Commission’s current records list Shiv Sena with the ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol, while Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has the ‘Flaming Torch’ symbol.
Raut argued that the spirit of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution was to protect the identity of the original political party, and alleged that this principle was ignored in the Shiv Sena dispute.
He also criticised serving and former Election Commissioners, accusing them of surrendering the poll panel’s autonomy to the Union government.
Drawing a parallel with the ongoing dispute within the Trinamool Congress, Raut alleged that similar attempts were being made elsewhere to trigger splits and undermine regional political parties.
His remarks came amid continuing political and legal disputes over the Election Commission’s role in deciding rival claims to party names and symbols. The Supreme Court is currently hearing the Shiv Sena-related matter, including questions concerning the Commission’s exercise of discretion in the symbol dispute.
The comments also followed the Election Commission’s recent interim action in the Trinamool Congress dispute. The poll panel has frozen the party’s original name and ‘Flowers & Grass’ symbol pending a final decision and directed the rival factions to contest upcoming bypolls under new identities.
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction has criticised the interim order as unconstitutional while indicating that it would comply with the procedural requirements and pursue available legal remedies. Representatives of the rival faction have welcomed the Commission’s decision.
Raut’s allegations against the Election Commission and the Centre are political claims and have not been established by the court or any independent finding.
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