New Delhi: Founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Sharad Pawar on Friday asked the Supreme Court to urgently hear his plea challenging the Election Commission's decision to recognise the faction led by deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar as the real NCP.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi mentioned the matter before a bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud. The counsel contended that the Sharad Pawar group has not been allocated any symbol by the Election Commission. It was submitted before the court that in view of the Assembly session next week, Pawar's group of MLAs are likely to face a whip issued by the Ajit Pawar group.
On February 7, the Ajit Pawar faction filed a caveat application in the Supreme Court seeking hearing in case Sharad Pawar faction files an appeal against the EC order. A caveat application is filed by a litigant to ensure that no adverse order is passed against him or her without being heard.
In a major setback to the NCP founder Sharad Pawar, on February 6, the EC declared that the Ajit Pawar faction is the real NCP. The poll panel also allotted the NCP symbol 'clock' to the group led by Ajit Pawar. The commission gave the Sharad Pawar faction a one-time option to claim a name for its new political formation and provide three preferences. The EC allotted 'Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar' as the new name to the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar.
The order by the poll watchdog came a day after it gave the Nationalist Congress Party name and the "clock" election symbol to the group led by Ajit, who had walked away with a majority of NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly in July last year. EC had asked the Sharad Pawar group to suggest three names of which one could be allotted in view of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
In a writ petition filed in the apex court, Sharad Pawar challenged the poll panel's decision of February 6, recognising the group by Ajit Pawar as the NCP and awarding it the party symbol of 'Clock'. The plea has been filed through advocate Abhishek Jebraj.
Ajit Pawar and eight other legislators of the NCP joined Maharashtra’s ruling coalition of Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and BJP in July, 2023.
