Shiv Sena chief picks 3 names denoting family generations and as many symbols, seeks early allotment
Poll symbol freeze
Mumbai, Oct 9: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday asked the Election Commission to finalise one of three symbols- a trident, burning torch, and rising Sun- submitted by his camp and a name without delay ahead of the bypoll to the Andheri (East) assembly segment.
In a virtual address, Thackeray said his camp has submitted three names- "Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray, Shiv Sena Balasaheb Prabodhankar Thackeray, and Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray" to the EC and expects it to allot one of them.
A day earlier, the poll body froze Shiv Sena's 'bow and arrow' poll symbol and also barred the factions led by Thackeray and Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde from using the party name in the November 3 bypoll.
Prabodhankar Thackeray, a social reformer and one of the stalwarts of the "Samyukta Maharashtra" movement in 1950s, is the late grandfather of Uddhav Thackeray and Bal Thackeray his father.
Thackeray said his faction has also submitted to the EC three options- a rising Sun, a burning torch (mashaal), and a trident- and expects it to allot one of them as the poll symbol for the byelection.
The bypoll is expected to be a straight fight between the Thackeray faction and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a first after the vertical split in Shiv Sena in June this year.
In a YouTube live, Thackeray tore into CM Shinde's camp and also took swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"I appeal to the ECI to finalise a symbol and name for my party at the earliest because we have to go to the people and face the bye-election. I was shocked by the decision of the ECI, but my confidence is not shaken and also my faith in Sena supporters," he added.
He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) always targets Congress over former prime minister Indira Gandhi's decision to invoke the Emergency.
"However, neither Indira Gandhi tried to finish off Shiv Sena nor any other Congress-led government took such extreme steps against Shiv Sena," he said.
The Sena chief said the 40 rebels, who are enjoying plum posts with the support of the BJP, will be dumped like an "empty beverage bottle" once their utility is over.
"Nobody keeps the empty bottle at home once the beverage is consumed completely," he added.
"The traitors first took my chair by cheating and also tried to appropriate Shiv Sena and the legacy. Now they ensured that the symbol (bow and arrow) is frozen," Thackeray added.
The former chief minister said he tolerated these acts but it is too much for him now.
"Such acts of these people can be equated with a person stabbing his own mother. These are heartless people who are trying to finish the very political party that gave them so much space, posts and image," he added.
The Sena chief said he was waiting for the right opportunity to strike back.
"I will give my best against them. They (Shinde camp) should realise that their utility is now almost over with the ECI freezing the election symbol of Shiv Sena. Now, they are left with very little time in their hand," he said.
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Varun, Moeen stop RR to 151/9 on sluggish track
Guwahati, Mar 26 (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders' spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali worked in perfect tandem to weave their magic, as a disciplined bowling effort restricted Rajasthan Royals to a below-par 151/9 in their IPL clash here on Wednesday.
On a dry and sticky Barsapara pitch where the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat, KKR’s new spin combination -- brought together due to Sunil Narine's injury -- proved to be their game-changer.
Chakravarthy and Ali dismantled the Royals' middle order, picking up two wickets each in successive overs right after the powerplay, shifting the momentum in KKR’s favour.
Chakravarthy, varying his pace masterfully, bowled out his quota with exceptional figures of 2/17, while Moeen Ali finished with a tidy 2/23 from his four overs.
Seamer Vaibhav Arora (2/33) was expensive but chipped in with two crucial wickets -- regular Royals skipper Sanju Samson (13 off 11) with a yorker in the powerplay before dismissing impact substitute Shubham Dubey (9) cheaply.
Harshit Rana (2/36) was instrumental at the death, breaking Dhruv Jurel’s promising innings of 33 (28) and removing the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer for just 7, both in the crucial penultimate over.
A quickfire cameo 16 from 7 balls from Jofra Archer ensured that they reached 150-mark but he fell to Spencer Johnson () in the penultimate ball of their innings.
Put in, RR had looked set for a big total at 54 for 1, with a well-set Yashasvi Jaiswal (29 off 24) and local lad Riyan Parag (25 off 15) at the crease.
Riyan, leading the Royals for the first time at his home ground, began with intent, smashing Harshit Rana for a six over square leg off just the third ball he faced.
Riyan, who knows the Barsapara pitch like the back of his hand, played the shot of the innings in the next over -- a beautifully timed lofted drive off Vaibhav Arora, sending the ball soaring straight down the ground.
Jaiswal, dropped on 19, capped off the powerplay with a six as RR finished the first six overs strongly at 54/1.
However, KKR struck back immediately. Chakravarthy, their mystery spinner, triggered the collapse in the seventh over, dismissing the dangerous-looking Parag with a well-disguised 113kph delivery.
Riyan mistimed his lofted shot, and the ball soared high into the night sky before Quinton de Kock calmly took the catch after removing his helmet.
Ali compounded RR’s troubles in the very next over by dismissing Jaiswal, who had looked in fine touch with two sixes and as many boundaries.
The England all-rounder continued his impact, getting rid of Wanindu Hasaranga (4), who had been promoted to No 5 but failed to make an impact, spooning a skiddy delivery straight to mid-off.
With four wickets falling for just 15 runs, RR’s innings never had the required momentum as they were at least 25 short of par-score.
