Mumbai:
Amid a battle for the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) 53 legislators in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, leading one of the factions, has staked claim to the name of the party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar and its symbol. Ajit Pawar has approached the Election Commission of India, claiming he has the support of over 40 members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and members of parliament (MPs).
The Sharad Pawar faction, in response, has requested the Election Commission to hear their side before making any decision, filing a caveat with the poll authority to that effect. The Commission is set to process applications in the coming days and will facilitate the exchange of documents submitted by both factions.
In a dramatic twist, the NCP, established by Sharad Pawar in 1999, saw a split when Ajit Pawar, alongside over 40 MLAs, announced their alliance with the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. In a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday, nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn in as ministers in the Maharashtra government.
Accompanied by senior party leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil, Ajit Pawar proclaimed his faction as the “real” NCP. In contrast, Sharad Pawar has expelled Mr Patel and Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare from the party, claiming his faction to be the authentic NCP. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction has also filed a disqualification petition against these nine MLAs to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar.
In Mumbai, Chhagan Bhujbal, a prominent member of the Ajit Pawar faction, reiterated the support of over 40 MLAs and MLCs at a meeting called by Ajit Pawar at the Mumbai Education Trust in Bandra. Mr Bhujbal dismissed accusations of their association with Ajit Pawar being due to fear of legal cases, stating several of the present members have no legal cases against them.
Earlier, Praful Patel claimed the support of the majority of the party’s legislators, asserting that there was no cause for concern. Before the meeting, Ajit Pawar, along with other party leaders, displayed the NCP flag at the Mumbai Education Trust Bandra, reinforcing their claim.
Source link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/in-ncp-race-ajit-pawar-outplays-uncle-sharad-stakes-claim-to-symbol-4179427