From Cong to AIADMK: As Shiv Sena’s fight reaches SC, here’s a list of similar past feuds in India

As the battle for symbols and party name rages on between the two factions of Maharashtra's Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde on one hand and Uddhav Thackeray on the other, it should be made known that fight over party symbols is as common as fight over party leadership.

Here's a list of past events

Lok Janshakti Party

Months after Ram Vilas Paswan passed away in October 2020, LJP saw a nasty battle break between his son Chirag Paswan and his brother Pashupati Kumar Paras. Chirag was heading the party after his father's death, when Pashupati Kumar claimed to represent the "real LJP" in June 2021.

The Election Commission then froze the symbol and later allotted Chirag Paswan the helicopter symbol and his uncle's faction the sewing machine. Chirag's party was to be called Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Paras's faction was to be known as Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party.

Samajwadi party

A nephew uncle feud also played out between Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav in 2017. Akhilesh was running the Mulayam Singh-founded party, when Shivpal claimed Mulayam's legacy and the party's cycle symbol.

When the feud reached the ECI, Akhilesh was able to prove that he had the majority support from the Samajwadi Party leaders, the former awarded him the Samajwadi Party chief  post retention and the cycle symbol. 

Shivpal Yadav went on to form a separate party Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia.

Telegu Desam Party 

The Telegu Desam Party (TDP) saw its two most powerful leaders in a feud Chandrababu Naidu and his father-in-law NT Rama Rao in 1995. Notably, NT Rama Rao was then the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. 

Backed by other family members, Chandrababu Naidu managed to get the support of 200 MLAs of Telugu Desam party (TDP). Lakshmi Parvathi, the second wife of NT Rama Rao, formed a separate party.

NT Rama Rao passed away within months, on January 18, 1996.

The feud over the control of the party reached the Election Commission and it decided in Chandrababu Naidu's favour. He got both the party's symbol and its control.

AIADMK

Tamil Nadu saw a battle for the control of AIADMK and its symbol after the demise of its founder MG Ramachandran in December 1987.

J Jayalalithaa, who went on to become Tamil Nadu chief minister, led a faction for the fight of AIADMK's two-leaf symbol against MG Ramachandran's wife Janaki Ramachandran.

Janaki Ramachandran won the short-term fight and was asked by the governor to form the government but President's rule was imposed after ruckus in the Assembly.

In the election that ensued, DMK came to power in Tamil Nadu as AIADMK was a divided house. But it catapulted Jayalalithaa as the leader of AIADMK. Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK faction won 27 seats and Janaki Ramachandran's faction was rejected by the voters.

The drubbing in the election, forced Janaki to give over AIADMK's reins to Jayalalithaa, who then controlled the merged entity.

Indian National Congress

Indira Gandhi became the prime minister in 1969, she revolted against the party's "syndicate". This led to Indira Gandhi being expelled from the Congress by then party president S Nijalingappa.

Indira, with the help of a majority of Congress members, formed a new party and named it Congress (R). Indira staked claim to the party and its symbol of a pair of bullocks and plough, but the Election Commission rejected her claims.

Indira Gandhi went on with a cow and a sucking calf as the symbol for her Congress (R). This was the symbol from 1971 to 1977.

Indira Gandhi again split from her party Congress (R) after her election defeat in 1977. She formed Congress (I) with the symbol of hand.