New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has approved the claim of Ajit Pawar faction on the name and election symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
The decision was taken after 10 hearings stretching over five months.
According to the Spokesperson of ECI, “Ajit Pawar gets Nationalist Congress Party name and symbol after more than 10 hearings spread over more than 6 months. ‘Test of Legislative majority’ clinches symbol in view of disputed internal organisational elections”.
In a 140-page decision on the dispute between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar camp, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Commissioner Anup Chand Pandey and Arun Goyal have said that the Ajit Pawar faction will be allowed to use the NCP's clock symbol.
In the decision issued on Tuesday evening with the signatures of all three commissioners including the Chief Election Commissioner, the Commission has accepted the application of Ajit Pawar faction on the basis of the principle of majority in the legislature on which they had claimed the name and election symbol.
The Commission has given Sharad Pawar faction till 4 pm on, February 7 to apply for a new name and election symbol for their party for the biennial elections for six Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra.
If this is not done, the candidates of Sharad Pawar group will be considered as independents.
The Commission spokesperson said in view of the organisation's controversial election, legislative majority proves the Ajit Pawar faction's claim on the election symbol.
On this criterion, the Commission has found that out of total 81 NCP MLAs, 51 were with Ajit Pawar. The Commission has also said no clear conclusion could be drawn in this case on the basis of criteria like majority in the organisation and goals and objectives of the organisation.
It is noteworthy that in this case, the Supreme Court had given the Speaker of the Assembly time till January 31, 2024 to decide on the disqualification petitions. Later it was extended to February 15.
Poll panel should be embarrassed: Sharad Pawar-led NCP
NCP leader Jitendra Ahwad said that the poll panel should be embarrassed by its decision, and that Ajit Pawar had “politically choked” his uncle and party founder, Sharad Pawar. The Sharad Pawar faction is now planning to approach the Supreme Court to look into the matter.
Ahwad told news agency ANI, "This was going to happen. We already knew this. Today he (Ajit Pawar) has choked Sharad Pawar politically. Only Ajit Pawar is behind this. The only one who should be embarrassed in this is the Election Commission. Sharad Pawar is a phoenix. He will rise again from the ashes. We still have the power because we have Sharad Pawar. We will go to the Supreme Court."
Centre behind EC's decision: MPCC chief
Reacting over the Election Commission's decision to allow party name and symbol 'Clock' to breakaway Ajit Pawar faction of NCP, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole claimed that it was scripted by the central government.
Notably, a few months ago BJP national president J P Nadda had indicated that no regional party will exist in the country, he said.
Thereafter, the central investigation agencies and the EC have started eliminating regional parties at the behest of the (Narendra) Modi government at the Centre, he alleged.
The Modi government and EC are not only finishing off opposition parties but also democracy in the country, Patole charged.
The split engineered both in Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party is a form of killing democracy, he added.
