EC grants 3 more weeks to Sharad Pawar, Ajit factions to revert on NCP name, symbol

The Election Commission has granted three more weeks for the warring factions of the Nationalist Congress Party to respond to its notices regarding the party's name and election symbol. The factions now have until September 8 to file their replies. The EC will then decide if they need to start dispute proceedings.

Mumbai: The Election Commission on Wednesday granted three more weeks to the warring factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to respond to its notices related to the party’s name and election symbol.

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The decision came following a request by the Sharad Pawar-led faction seeking another four weeks to file their reply to the poll panel. The EC said that the factions can now respond to the notice by September 8.

On July 27, the poll panel had issued notices to both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar led factions asking them to file their reply and documents by August 17. The notice was issued after the Ajit faction made a claim on the party’s name and election symbol.

Though the Pawar-led NCP has filed its reply, it sought documentary evidence supporting the Ajit faction’s claim from the election commission.

“The EC also directed both the parties to exchange their documents which have been completed. Now, the commission has asked both the factions to file their responses based on documentary evidence by September 8,” a senior NCP functionary from the Ajit camp said.

Paragraph 15 deals with the power of commission in relation to disputes between splinter groups or rival sections of a recognised political party. It gives powers to the commission to take hearings by taking into account all the available facts and circumstances of both the factions and give its decision which is binding on all rival groups.

On July 2, Ajit Pawar joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government along with a group of 40 MLAs and was also inducted as deputy chief minister. The same day, he declared moving the election commission under the symbols order for use of the name and symbol of NCP.

Along with the petition, the EC also had received affidavits from 40 MPs, MLAs and MLCs and a resolution passed by rebel faction members that they had elected Ajit Pawar as the NCP president. The documents were officially received by the EC on July 5.

On July 3, the Pawar-led NCP moved a disqualification motion against nine MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, who were inducted as ministers into the coalition government. A copy of this was sent to the EC. On July 6, the Pawar faction decided to expel all the nine MLAs, along with working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare. The decision was taken in the working committee meeting of the party held in Delhi.