In a major setback to party founder Sharad Pawar, the Election Commission on Tuesday announced that the Ajit Pawar faction is the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). In an order, the Election Commission (EC) also allotted the NCP symbol 'Clock' to the group led by Ajit Pawar.
If sources are to be believed, Sharad Pawar faction is expected to propose a name for his faction to the Election Commission today.
According to sources, Sharad Pawar Congress, Mi ( I’m ) Nationalist, Sharad Pawar Swabhimani Party - these names are being discussed. Among election symbols, a cup and a saucer, sunflower, glasses and a rising sun are being considered.
The Sharad Pawar faction termed the EC's decision as murder of democracy. "This is the murder of democracy. What happened is unfortunate," Anil Deshmukh, leader of the Sharad Pawar group, said. "We are clearly doing two things. First, we are going to the Supreme Court in the next 48 hours. Second, the Election Commission has given us an option to give them three names and three symbols by tomorrow evening, so we will of course do that," Sharad Pawar group leader Supriya Sule said.
The decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of such a petition which included tests of aims and objectives of party constitution, test of party constitution and tests of majority both organisational and legislative, the commission said.
"We humbly accept the decision given by the Election Commission after listening to the side presented by our lawyers," Ajit Pawar said on 'X'.
Ajit Pawar had walked away with a majority of NCP MLAs in July last year and supported the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra. He had submitted the petition with the EC two days before he and eight other MLAs took oath as ministers in the Shinde government.
