Accept EC decision, change of Symbol Would Not Make Difference: Pawar's Advice To Uddhav

Pawar, whose party is Thackeray's ally, also reminded that the Congress led by Indira Gandhi had to pick a new symbol in 1978, but it had no damaging consequences for the party.

PTI

Updated on: 18 February 2023 2:36 am

NCP chief Sharad Pawar press conference

Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said the loss of `bow and arrow' will not make any difference to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena as people will accept its new poll symbol.

Pawar, whose party is Thackeray's ally, also reminded that the Congress led by Indira Gandhi had to pick a new symbol in 1978, but it had no damaging consequences for the party.

He was reacting to the Election Commission's decision to recognize the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena, and award it the original `bow and arrow' symbol.?

"Once a decision is given, there can be no discussion. Accept it, take a new symbol. It (loss of the old symbol) is not going to have any impact," the NCP chief advised the Thackeray group.He recalled that Indira Gandhi faced a similar situation in the aftermath of the Emergency.

"Congress used to have the 'two bullocks with a yoke' ?symbol. After they lost it, they adopted 'hand' as the new symbol, and people accepted it. Similarly, people will accept the new symbol (of the Uddhav faction)," the veteran politician said.