By: Chandrashekhar Barve
Twitter: @the_news_21
New Delhi: Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar’s faction, voiced strong opposition on Monday to Sharad Pawar’s appointment as the party president.
During the second day of hearings at the Election Commission of India (ECI), N.K. Kaul, the senior counsel representing Ajit Pawar’s faction, argued that Sharad Pawar’s appointment as the president of the NCP is entirely illegal and contravenes established rules. Kaul emphasized that the NCP’s bye-laws and regulations were entirely disregarded during the appointment. This strategy might be seen as a significant move by Ajit Pawar.
The leadership dispute within the NCP between Sharad Pawar (the uncle) and Ajitdada Pawar (the nephew) has escalated to the Central Election Commission’s chambers. The commission conducted the second hearing on this matter today. Ajit Pawar’s faction’s lawyer, NK Kaul, presented their case. Following this, Maninder Singh and Siddharth Bhatnagar are also slated to represent the Ajit Pawar faction.
The ECI has taken into account the arguments put forth by the Ajit Pawar faction. Notably, the initial hearing took place last Friday. The Ajit Pawar faction alleges that Sharad Pawar has been leading the party autocratically, akin to how one would run a household. They informed the commission that the RACO Constitution’s provisions were entirely breached during Sharad Pawar’s election as President.
The ECI plans to allow the Sharad Pawar faction an opportunity to counter the arguments presented by the Ajit Pawar faction. Sources indicate that the ECI will render its verdict after hearing both sides.
Brijmohan Srivastava, the General Secretary and National Spokesperson for the Ajit Pawar faction, expressed confidence that their lawyer would adequately represent Ajit Pawar’s stance. He stated, “We have complete trust in the commission and will respect its final decision.”
