Ajit Pawar's faction gets NCP name, symbol. What's next for Sharad Pawar camp

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ruled that Ajit Pawar's faction is the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), dealing a blow to party founder Sharad Pawar ahead of crucial Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections. Ending months of speculation over the factional fight, the Election Commission also allotted the NCP symbol 'Wall Clock' to the group led by Ajit Pawar.

"The test of majority in the legislative wing found favour in this circumstance of the case, where both groups have been found to be working outside the party constitution and the organisational elections," the poll panel observed.

A leader of the Sharad Pawar-led group said that the poll panel's decision to announce Ajit's faction as the real NCP was taken under pressure.

“This is the murder of democracy. What happened is unfortunate,” former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh said. The poll panel gave this ruling under “pressure from above,” Deshmukh told a TV channel, without elaborating on his claim.

What's next for the Sharad Pawar faction?

With losing the NCP symbol 'Wall Clock' to the faction led by his nephew, the Sharad Pawar faction now faces a critical decision. The Commission has provided a one-time option for the faction to form a new political entity and submit three preferences for the upcoming elections to six seats in the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

To comply with the Commission's directive, the Sharad Pawar faction must submit their chosen new name for the political formation and provide their preferences for the Rajya Sabha seats by 4pm on February 4. Failure to do so will result in the MLAs aligning with the Sharad Pawar faction being treated as independent for the purpose of Rule 39AA of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

(With PTI inputs)