As the jubilant Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) continued to celebrate its victory in the Election Commission, the rival Sharad Pawar-led faction was allotted a new name, the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, on Wednesday. The new symbol will be allotted soon. The new name is a one-time provision for the impending Rajya Sabha elections.

The Sharad Pawar faction had submitted three preferences, as asked by the commission, for the new symbol and name which had the party founder’s name in it. The three preferences were — Nationalist Congress Party -Sharadchandra Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar, and NCP-Sharad Pawar. The Ajit Pawar faction has been given the original symbol of the clock.

Precedence

The Shiv Sena dispute was decided partially ahead of the Andheri by-poll. The Sena’s original symbol of the bow and arrow was frozen. The Eknath Shinde and the Uddhav Thackeray factions were asked to send in their preferences for the name and symbol. The latter won the election easily on a new symbol of the mashal (flaring torch) because neither the Shinde Sena nor the BJP contested the poll. The Shinde faction was allotted the original name and symbol much later on the same grounds that the EC has now used for the NCP feud.

In the Rajya Sabha polls, the parties don’t need symbols but must use the official party name, if any, or the candidates will be treated as independent. For Maharashtra’s six seats, the Sharad Pawar group has not declared its plan, but the other faction, now in the ruling alliance, will be contesting one seat. The Shinde Sena will get one. Poised to get three easily, the BJP may spring a surprise to win the fourth at the cost of the Congress, which has the strength to win one.

Objections raised

Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar group prepared itself to move the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict that the former was the real NCP. The ‘defeated faction’ said on Wednesday that the EC had omitted important submissions and it was very much against the SC verdict in the Shiv Sena case. The rival faction filed a caveat in the SC requesting the court to hear it if it was challenged.

Objecting to the commission’s order, MLA Jitendra Awhad said the EC said that the unified NCP showed differences since 2019 but then ignored the fact that Ajit Pawar was taken back and made the Deputy CM the same year. He also questioned the omission of a reference to Ajit Pawar’s election as the party president on June 30, 2023. Pointing out that the SC had observed that the legislative party could not be considered when the disqualification petitions were pending before the Speaker. He further said the Sharad Pawar faction had given an option other than that in the Sadiq Ali case, but the order did not mention it. “We had given a submission to this effect, a copy of which is also available. It seems the Election Commission is either lying or forgotten about it,” he added.

Speaker speaks

Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who had decided in the Shinde Sena’s favour but did not disqualify the MLAs from both rival factions, said on Wednesday that he would decide the NCP matter purely on merit. So, in view of the latest development, many expected Narwekar to replicate the Sena verdict, which, as per the Supreme Court order, he must deliver on or before February 15, 2024. 

06
No. of RS seats in Maharashtra

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