Sharad Pawar, Devendra Fadnavis not surprised by EC decision on Shiv Sena symbol

Two Maharashtra leaders, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, said they were not surprised by the EC decision to freeze the Shiv Sena symbol. The two had different reasons for this though.

"I knew that this would happen. Nowadays, I don't know who takes (such) decisions. However, you can be sure that decisions are not taken on merit... I knew that this kind of decision would come and that has happened," Pawar said, adding: "Whatever symbol they get, they can win polls."

Fadnavis said he wasn't surprised with the decision as "it was based on precedents". "This decision was based on precedents. EC has been following the same thing in the last 20 to 25 years. It has been a practice for EC to give an interim order to freeze the symbol till the issue has been decided. I am hopeful that in the final order the EC would give the symbol to the Shinde camp."


The Shinde camp, meanwhile, has said that they were unhappy with the EC decision but have accepted it. "We are the rightful claimants of the bow and arrow symbol. We had submitted proofs and we had the majority to show this. They (Uddhav camp) have not been submitting documents and have been delaying giving their submission and are now blaming us,"said Deepak Kesarkar, a minister in the Shinde government.