Jolt to Sharad Pawar, EC says Ajit Pawar faction ‘real NCP’

New Delhi, February 6

The Ajit Pawar faction is the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Election Commission announced on Tuesday in a major setback to party founder Sharad Pawar.

The poll panel gave the NCP name and symbol “wall clock” to the Ajit Pawar faction in a significant order ahead of polls. The poll body took the decision to end the dispute between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit after more than 10 hearings spread over six months.

The commission said the decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of the petition, which included tests of aims and objectives of the party constitution, test of party constitution and tests of majority — both organisational and legislative.

The Election Commission said the “test of a legislative majority” helped Ajit’s faction clinch the NCP symbol in view of the disputed internal organisational elections. The NCP had witnessed a split in July last year after Ajit had rebelled against his uncle and joined the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra.

Both factions had staked claim to the party name and symbol before the Election Commission.

“We humbly accept the decision given by the Election Commission after listening to the side presented by our lawyers,” Ajit said in a post on X after the verdict.

The EC has provided the Sharad faction with a one-time option to name its new political formation and provide three preferences to the commission by 4 pm tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Sharad’s daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule dubbed the EC decision as a conspiracy against Maharashtra and Marathi people.

“The ECI’s decision is the victory of the invisible power. This is a huge conspiracy against Maharashtra and Marathi people. However, I am not at all surprised by this decision,” Sule told reporters in New Delhi.