NCP founder Sharad Pawar reacts to losing party name, symbol to nephew Ajit Pawar
Sharad Pawar claimed that the decision was against the law, adding that he had approached the Supreme Court against the ECI order.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Saturday reacted to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's decision to give the party's name and symbol to his nephew Ajit Pawar. Sharad Pawar said it had never happened before that those who formed a political party were removed from the party itself.
Claiming that the decision was against the law, the NCP founder said that he had approached the Supreme Court against the ECI order.
"It has never happened before that those who formed a political party were removed from the party. Not only this, the party symbol was also taken away. This decision was not in accordance with the law. We have approached the Supreme Court in this matter. We will need to increase our public outreach," news agency ANI quoted Sharad Pawar as saying.
On Friday, Sharad Pawar took a dig at junior Pawar saying that he was not worried about losing the NCP name and symbol but asserted people did not approve of those who chose to go on a different path.
Addressing a public meeting in Satara, Sharad Pawar said power comes and goes but ideology, policies and the thought to take the country forward are permanent.
"But some of our colleagues deviated from this path. Some took away the party, some took away the symbol. I never worry about all this. Some people chose to go on a different path by forsaking ideology but people did not appreciate this move," he asserted.
He has also sought an urgent hearing before the Supreme Court of the plea against the ECI order of officially recognising the Ajit Pawar faction as the 'real' NCP. The top court also considered for early listing of the plea.
Earlier this week, Narwekar held that the Ajit Pawar-led group was the real NCP when two factions emerged in July 2023 from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.
Earlier this month, the ECI ruled that Ajit Pawar's faction was the real NCP and alloted the 'clock' symbol to the faction. On the other hand, the poll body provided a special concession to Sharad Pawar's faction to name its new political formation in view of the Rajya Sabha elections.
Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government in July last year, leading to a split in the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP.
(With inputs from agencies)
