Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday, 18 September launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Centre, alleging that the allocation of the original 'Bow and Arrow' symbol to the rival faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde amounted to a 'multi-hundred crore scam.' Raut made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Mumbai, intensifying the ongoing political battle between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the ruling coalition in the state.

Raut's Allegations Against the Election Commission

Raut accused the Election Commission of functioning under political pressure, calling it a 'domestic servant' of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the past 10–12 years. He alleged that the poll panel had compromised its constitutional independence by acting as an instrument of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime at the Centre. Raut made pointed remarks against both serving and former Election Commissioners, accusing them of surrendering their autonomy.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader argued that the spirit of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution — which is intended to preserve the identity of the original political party — was completely disregarded in the decision to award the symbol to the Shinde faction. He maintained that the original Shiv Sena, founded by Balasaheb Thackeray, was denied its rightful identity.

Broader Pattern: West Bengal's TMC Under Scrutiny Too

Raut drew parallels beyond Maharashtra, alleging that similar tactics to engineer splits and weaken regional parties are being deployed elsewhere — citing the case of West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC) as a fresh example. His remarks came a day after the Election Commission issued an interim order on Thursday freezing the official name 'Trinamool Congress' and its iconic 'Joda Ghash Phool (Twin Flowers in Grass)' election symbol ahead of the forthcoming Assembly bypolls in Nandigram and Rejinagar on 6 October.

According to the Election Commission, neither the faction led by Mamata Banerjee nor that led by Ritabrata Banerjee may use the 'Trinamool Congress' party name or its official symbol for the upcoming bypolls until a final decision is reached. Both factions have been directed to submit newly-chosen temporary party names and preferred free symbols to the poll panel.

TMC Factions React to Symbol Freeze

The Mamata Banerjee-led faction criticised the order as unconstitutional but indicated it would comply with procedural requirements while pursuing further legal remedies. Representatives from the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction, by contrast, welcomed the Election Commission's decision. The situation echoes the Shiv Sena dispute, where rival factions contested ownership of the party's name and symbol — a legal battle that ultimately favoured the Shinde faction.

What This Means for Maharashtra Politics

Raut's fresh salvo adds momentum to an increasingly bitter war of words in Maharashtra between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the ruling coalition ahead of the state's political calendar. Critics argue that the repeated invocation of the Election Commission's alleged partisan conduct is becoming a central plank of the opposition's narrative — not just in Maharashtra but nationally. Notably, this is not the first time the poll panel's impartiality has been questioned by opposition leaders; similar accusations have been levelled during electoral disputes in other states as well. How the Election Commission responds to these allegations, and how courts rule on the TMC symbol dispute, could shape the credibility debate around India's electoral institutions in the months ahead.