After multiple hearings over the course of six months, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially recognized the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the true Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and has granted them the party’s “clock” symbol for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This ruling came as a major setback for the Sharad Pawar faction.
The ECI’s decision was based on the “test of legislative majority,” which determined that the Ajit Pawar faction had the support of a majority of NCP legislators. This was due to disputed internal organizational elections within the party.
As a result of this ruling, the Sharad Pawar faction was given the opportunity to choose a new name for their political formation and provide three preferences to the Commission by February 7 at 3 pm.
Last year in July, Ajit Pawar had taken the majority of NCP MLAs and supported the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to the ECI, when democratic elections are replaced by appointments or held in an opaque manner, it leads to the party becoming a “private fiefdom” of a select group of individuals. This can result in the loss of connection between the party workers and the top representatives, which can have an impact on the country’s democratic governance. The Election Commission also stated that internal disputes and factions are likely to arise without democratic internal structures in place, leading to the determination of such matters by the Commission under the Symbols Order.
Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Deputy CM and NCP leader, welcomed the ECI’s ruling, stating that it was made after considering the arguments put forth by their lawyers. Supporters of Ajit Pawar celebrated the ECI’s decision by chanting slogans in his support.
On the other hand, the Sharad Pawar faction referred to the ECI’s decision as a “murder of democracy,” stating that it was made under pressure. They also announced that they will be approaching the Supreme Court.
Shiv Sena UBT spokesperson, Anand Dubey, also expressed disappointment in the ECI’s ruling and stated that they have faith in the Supreme Court. He also pointed out that the NCP was founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, and this decision goes against the party’s history.
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