"Accept it": Sharad Pawar tells Uddhav on name and symbol loss

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar asked former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to “accept and take a new party symbol”, after the Election Commission (EC) ordered that the party name ‘Shiv Sena’ and symbol ‘bow and arrow’ will be given to the Eknath Shinde faction. Pawar said that the EC's move would not have any major impact and that people would accept the new symbol.

The NCP leader said, “It's the decision of the Election Commission. Once a decision is given, there can be no discussion. Accept it and take a new symbol. It [loss of old symbol] is not going to have any major impact as people will accept [new symbol].”

Recalling how Congress also had to change its poll symbol many years ago, Pawar said people would accept the new symbol of the Uddhav Thackeray faction like the way they accepted the Congress' new symbol.

"I remember Indira Gandhi also faced this situation. Congress used to have a 'two bullocks with a yoke' symbol. Later they lost it and adopted 'hand' as a new symbol and people accepted it. Similarly, people will accept the new symbol [of Uddhav Thackeray faction]," the veteran politician remarked.