In a concession, the Sharad Pawar side was given a "one-time opportunity" by the Election Commission to choose a name for their political party; the deadline was set for this Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the next Rajya Sabha elections.
The Election Commission (EC) formally recognized Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s group as the authentic Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday, capping months of speculation over internal party strife. The Sharad Pawar group was also directed by the EC to change their name for the state’s upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
As part of its directive, the Election Commission also assigned the NCP symbol ‘Wall Clock’ to the faction headed by Ajit Pawar.
“The assessment of majority support within the legislative wing was deemed significant in this particular instance, given that both factions were found to be operating outside the confines of the party constitution and organizational elections,” noted the electoral authority.
Unraveling the NCP Leadership Clash: EC's Method of Resolving Ajit Pawar vs. Sharad Pawar Feud
Meanwhile, the Election Commission made a gesture to the Sharad Pawar faction, giving them a special chance to choose a name for their political party and send in three nominations by Wednesday afternoon, in view of the impending Rajya Sabha elections.
Ajit Pawar expressed his acceptance of the decision by saying, “We humbly accept the instruction issued by the Election Commission of India. Our legal representatives’ arguments have been acknowledged by the ECI, for which we are grateful.”
Unveiling the Narrative: A Brief Account of Pawar, Party, and Authority - Following the Path of the NCP
Ajit Pawar’s declaration in July of the previous year that he had the backing of every NCP MLA dealt a serious blow to the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), an alliance that was first formed by the Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena. As a result, he became a part of the Eknath Shinde-led BJP-Sena administration and became deputy chief minister for the sixth time. Ajit Pawar was the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly before this.
After Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister, he controversially removed his uncle Sharad Pawar from the party presidency. Subsequently, he wrote to the Election Commission to request that his faction be acknowledged as the legitimate NCP.
