Pawar says EC order on Sena is misuse of power by BJP

Pawar, was campaigning for Congress and NCP candidates for Kasba Peth and Chinchwad bypolls on Wednesday and held meetings in the city

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said Election Commission’s decision to recognise the Eknath Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena and award the “bow and arrow” symbol to it, is an example of how an institution that is supposed to protect all is being “misused”.

Ravindra Dhangekar and Sharad Pawar at a ,eet, ahead of the bypolls at Savitribai Phule Sabhagruha in Ganj Peth on Wednesday. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Pawar, was campaigning for Congress and NCP candidates for Kasba Peth and Chinchwad bypolls on Wednesday and held meetings in the city.

“Pune is a city that believes in unity. In a city, where elections are being conducted, be it Congress, NCP, or Samajwadi Party, all these parties take everyone along during the election, but in the same city, we have been seeing for long time that there is one political outfit that attacks the bhaichara (brotherhood) in the society and it is our duty to fight the election together against such people and their ideology,” said Pawar.

He said that he has been seeing how the misuse of power is happening as parties who do not subscribe to the leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are subjected to harassment.

“In political parties, differences and conflict do take place. There are some organisations ( institutions ) of the country that are supposed to treat everyone the same. You must have seen that some days back, the election commission had given the decision regarding Shiv Sena. The election commission is the institution that organises elections in the country and protects all sections. We have seen an example of how this institution can be misused,” said Pawar referring to the Election Commission’s decision.

Speaking about the MCD elections in Delhi, Pawar said that in the MCD polls, Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party won the majority, however, the mayoral election was not allowed to take place for the last three months. “Today Supreme Court ordered to hold the mayoral election and the election took place and BJP had to face defeat,” he said.