Sharad Pawar Challenges EC Decision in Supreme Court Over NCP Symbol Dispute

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar has taken the Election Commission’s decision to recognize his nephew Ajit Pawar’s faction as the “real” party to the Supreme Court. This move comes after the EC allotted the NCP symbol ‘wall clock’ to Ajit Pawar’s group, ostensibly to quell internal factionalism.

Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, has already filed a caveat in the Supreme Court through his advocate, urging to be heard before any ruling on Sharad Pawar’s petition. The Commission’s decision, favoring Ajit Pawar’s faction, was based on tests of the party’s constitution and majority, both legislative and organizational.

Sharad Pawar’s appeal arrives just ahead of the Supreme Court’s deadline for Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar to decide on disqualification petitions against Ajit Pawar’s breakaway faction, extending the scrutiny period to February 15, 2024.