The Election Commission of India on Tuesday, 6 February, ruled that Ajit Pawar's faction is the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and allowed it use the party name and symbol.
“The faction led by petitioner Ajit Anantrao Pawar is the Nationalist Congress Party and is entitled to use its name and reserved symbol ‘Clock’ for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment), Order 1968”.
The development comes as a major setback for Sharad Pawar.
In its order, EC stated that it "had examined the applicability of all three test i.e., 'Test of Aims and Objectives of the Party Constitution', 'Test of the Party Constitution' and 'Test of Majority' to adjudicate the present dispute case."
It further granted time till 4 pm, 7 February, to the Sharad Pawar faction to claim a new name.
"Accordingly, the commission provides a one-time option to the respondent (Sharad Pawar) for the purpose of forthcoming election to the Rajya Sabha in Maharashtra to claim a new name to its new political formation," it added.
Meanwhile, on ED's order, Ajit said, "I welcome the Election Commission's decision. We accept this decision humbly...We are very happy and we thank them."
Background: Ajit Pawar, with support of majority of NCP MLAs, joined hands with Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena-BJP run government in Maharashtra, splitting party in two. He was then sworn-in as the deputy chief minister of the state.
'Will Go To Supreme Court': Supriya Sule
Reacting to EC's order, Sharad Pawar's daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule said, "Our documents were fine. Founder member and founder leader of this party is only Sharad Pawar...But now the atmosphere is something else right now. There is an 'adrishya shakti' in the country which is doing all this. We will fight...We will definitely go to Supreme Court," as quoted by ANI.
Another Sharad Pawar faction leader Jitendra Awhad said, "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..."
(With inputs from ANI.)
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