The Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party will be now officially known as Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar, the Election Commission of India announced on Wednesday. This will be application until the conclusion of the Rajya Sabha elections for six seats from Maharashtra on February 27, the ECI noted.
The Sharad Pawar group had proposed three names three proposed names – Nationalist Congress Party - Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party - Sharad Chandra Pawar, and Nationalist Congress Party - S. The Election Commission has chosen the second option.
The announcement came a day after the ECI granted the NCP party name and symbol to the Ajit Pawar faction. The poll body's decision irked veteran Sharad Pawar's supporters. Reacting to the verdict, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad on Wednesday said the party would challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
"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," Awhad said.
Apart from this, posters supporting Sharad Pawar were installed outside the NCP office in Mumbai on Wednesday.
