‘Malafide’: Sharad Pawar Camp To Poll Body After Ajit Pawar Claims NCP Symbol

The Election Commission on Sunday received a request from NCP’s Ajit Pawar's group for the party's election symbol. However, the Sharad Pawar camp has opposed this request, calling it premature and malicious, and asked the EC to reject it. They argue that Ajit Pawar's petition does not prove the existence of two factions within the NCP.

Last month, Ajit Pawar and his supporters joined forces with the BJP-Eknath Shinde alliance in Maharashtra and became ministers. They claim to be the real NCP, backed by a majority of party MLAs, just like the faction led by Eknath Shinde.

Ajit Pawar's group presented evidence that he was elected as the NCP chief through a resolution signed by a large number of party members on June 30, 2023. However, the Sharad Pawar faction disputes this claim and says that Ajit Pawar never raised any concerns or requested a meeting with Sharad Pawar or other NCP leaders before July 1, 2023, the date of filing the petition. They argue that there is no evidence of two distinct factions within the NCP.

The Ajit Pawar loyalists are not considering themselves a separate faction but insist they are part of the same party. They hope to convince Sharad Pawar to accept their decision to join Maharashtra's ruling alliance. Praful Patel, who was once a loyalist to Sharad Pawar, has stated that he doesn't want to comment on internal party matters but continues to admire Sharad Pawar and wants him to support their political decision.