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Amidst internal turmoil within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Election Commission received a formal request from the faction led by Ajit Pawar for the party’s election symbol. However, this move has been met with strong opposition from the camp led by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, who denounce the request as premature and malicious, urging the EC to dismiss it. The bone of contention lies in the alleged existence of two factions within the party.
Last month, Ajit Pawar and his supporters joined forces with the BJP-Eknath Shinde alliance in Maharashtra, resulting in their induction as ministers. Claiming to represent the true NCP and backed by a majority of party MLAs, Ajit Pawar’s group seeks to establish their legitimacy akin to the faction led by Eknath Shinde.
Ajit Pawar’s faction has submitted evidence claiming that he was elected as the NCP chief through a resolution endorsed by a significant number of party members on June 30, 2023. However, the Sharad Pawar faction disputes this assertion, stating that Ajit Pawar never raised any concerns or sought a meeting with Sharad Pawar or other NCP leaders before July 1, 2023—the date of filing the petition. They contend that there is no substantial evidence to support the existence of two distinct factions within the NCP.
The supporters of Ajit Pawar insist that they do not view themselves as a separate faction but rather as an integral part of the same party. Their hope is to persuade Sharad Pawar to accept their decision to align with Maharashtra’s ruling alliance. Praful Patel, who was once a loyalist to Sharad Pawar, refrained from commenting on internal party matters but expressed admiration for Sharad Pawar and emphasized the importance of his support for their political decision.
As the Election Commission reviews the symbol request and the parties involved intensify their internal deliberations, the future of the NCP remains uncertain, overshadowed by the deepening divisions between the rival factions vying for control within the party.
