INDIA. Mumbai: The Election Commission of India (EC) has summoned responses from two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) regarding their contentions over party title and symbol.
The factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar have both asserted their claim as the “real NCP” and staked their rights to the “clock” poll symbol.
The EC has directed both factions to provide their explanations by September 8, after which a decisive course of action will be determined.
The division within the NCP unfolded after a contingent of 40 NCP MLAs, under the leadership of Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar, aligned with the BJP-Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) Maharashtra Government on July 2.
Ajit Pawar was subsequently sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister, and 8 NCP MLAs took oaths as ministers on the same day.
Earlier, on June 30, the Ajit Pawar faction communicated to the EC that a change in the party’s presidency had transpired, designating his faction as the authentic NCP.
The EC subsequently requested responses from both factions by August 17.
However, the Sharad Pawar faction sought a four-week extension to submit its statement. In response to this request, the EC granted a three-week extension.
Ajit Pawar was declared the “National President” of NCP during a meeting convened at MET, Bandra West, North West Mumbai, on July 5th.
This assembly saw the attendance of 32 legislators and Parliamentarians.
On the other hand, a gathering organized by Sharad Pawar at Y B Chavan Centre in South Mumbai saw the presence of 21 legislators and Parliamentarians, including NCP MPs Supriya Sule and Amol Kolhe, as well as MLAs Jayant Patil (Maharashtra NCP President), Anil Deshmukh, Daulat Darora, and Raju Navghare. Some NCP MLAs were absent from the meetings of both factions.
The Sharad Pawar faction has already taken disciplinary action against Ajit Pawar, 8 other ministers, MPs Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for “anti-party activities,” a course of action duly communicated to the EC.
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