Election Commission issues notice to Sharad Pawar faction on Ajit group’s claim to NCP name and symbol

Signalling an escalation in the ongoing war over control of the Nationalist Congress Party, the Election Commission is learnt to have issued a notice to the party faction headed by Sharad Pawar on a petition by the rebel grouping led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar staking claim on the party’s name and symbol.

A party leader of the Sharad Pawar faction confirmed having received the letter from the poll panel and said that it has been asked to present its side on the claims made by the Ajit group, reports The Indian Express.

Also Read: Ajit Pawar moved EC two days before Shiv Sena-like mutiny, staked claim to NCP name and symbol

On Wednesday, the poll panel also asked the leaders of the two factions to share with each other documents that they had submitted to the poll panel in connection with their dispute, IE reported citing a source. The report added that the poll panel has asked the warring sides to confirm the exchange of documents within three weeks.

Copies of any other future submissions to the poll panel will also be required to be shared with the other side, the poll panel said.

The NCP saw a major upheaval as Ajit Pawar walked out of the MVA and joined the ruling BJP-led NDA government in Maharashtra, taking a sizable chunk of MLAs along with him. While Ajit was sworn in as the Deputy CM, 7 other MLAs took oath as ministers in the Eknath Shinde government.

Also Read: ‘Aren’t you going to stop?’ Ajit asks 83-year-old Sharad Pawar to ‘pass the baton’

In its initial communication to the Election Commission, the Ajit faction had claimed the support of 40 party leaders, including MLAs, MPs and MLCs. It subsequently claimed the support of 40 of the 53 NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly.

Following Ajit Pawar’s claim to the NCP name and symbol, the SHarad Pawar grouping filed a cveat with the Election Commission requesting it to hear its side before passing an order.

In its letter to the EC, the Ajit faction has claimed that that the party’s senior leadership decided on June 30 to remove Sharad Pawar from the post of NCP president and appointed Ajit Pawar as the new party chief. While Praful Patel has been appointed as the party’s national working president, Sunil Tatkare has been given the charge of the state unit of the party.