The Election Commission renamed Sharad Pawar Group as Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar
The Election Commission announced on Wednesday that Sharad Pawar’s political party has a new name: the Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar. This decision came a day after the Commission determined that the faction led by Sharad Pawar’s nephew, Ajit Pawar, is the authentic NCP. As a result, Ajit Pawar’s faction will be given the party’s name and symbol, which is a clock.
The Sharad Pawar faction complied with the Election Commission of India’s directive to submit three options for their party name. This was necessary for their leaders to participate in the Rajya Sabha elections. The three proposed names, listed in order of preference, were “Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar”, “Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadrao Pawar”, and “NCP — Sharad Pawar”.
The decision by the Election Commission of India marked the end of a lengthy dispute between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit. Ajit had aligned himself with the BJP and the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde in a surprising move back in 2023.
Why This Decision Was Awaited?
The Election Commission’s decision came just before the scheduled Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra. The verdict required a special arrangement because the rules mandate that lawmakers display their ballot paper to the authorized party agent before casting their vote. This process allows the party’s authorized agent to verify whom the voter has chosen before the ballot paper is placed in the ballot box.
The Election Commission has not yet assigned a symbol for the NCP- Sharadchandra Pawar faction. The options under consideration include the rising sun (a variation of which is used by Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), a pair of glasses (a variation of which is used by the Indian National Lok Dal), and a banyan tree.
What`s Next for NCP Sharad Group?
Jayant Patil stated that Sharad Pawar’s group intends to appeal to the Supreme Court because they disagree with the Election Commission’s decision to grant the NCP name to Ajit Pawar.
