Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the Election Commission's decision in favour of Eknath Shinde established that Shinde leads "the real Shiv Sena." The EC earlier in the day recognized the faction led by Chief Minister Shinde as the real Shiv Sena and awarded the original party's poll symbol `bow and arrow' to it.

"It is now proved that Eknath Shinde leads the real Shiv Sena. The decision has been given on merit," Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

"Shiv Sena is a party of ideology. Shinde is taking the ideology ahead....he is walking in (Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray's footsteps," the BJP leader said.

He also said that nobody can claim the ownership of a party like it is a private property.

Earlier too, the Election Commission had decided such cases by taking into account the percentage of votes obtained by respective factions' legislators, Fadnavis said.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the EC's decision was historic.

Congratulating Shinde, he said in democracy what matters is who has more people's representatives. PTI COR MR VT KRK KRK

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