Setback for Sharad Pawar: Ajit Pawar's faction is 'real' Nationalist Congress Party, declares EC

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday declared Ajit Pawar's faction the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The commission has provided a one-time option to Sharad Pawar to claim a name for its new political formation and provide three preferences to it. The concession is to be utilised by 7 February 2024.

In July last year, Ajit Pawar along with 40 MLAs rebelled against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar to join the BJP-Sena government. Both factions claimed that they were the real NCP. 

Two days before revolting against Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar had approached the EC and staked claim to the party name as well as symbol and subsequently declared himself as the party president.

The EC said that the "test of the legislative majority" helped Ajit Pawar's faction clinch the NCP symbol.

The commission said that serious inconsistencies in terms of timelines in the claim of the Sharad Pawar group, in support of their claim of having organisational majority, resulted in the unreliability of their claim. 

It further said that taking into account the significant timeline of the elections to the 6 seats of Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, the Sharad Pawar faction has been given a special concession to comply with Rule 39AA of Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, which allows the authorised agents of political parties to verify as to whom an elector, who is a member of a political party has cast his vote. 

The commission thus using its powers has provided the Sharad Pawar faction, a one-time option to claim a name for its new political formation and provide three preferences to the Commission.