NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday dealt a serious blow to the faction helmed by veteran Maharashtra chief Sharad Pawar by settling the dispute throughout the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in favour of the faction led by his nephew and state’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. According to the sources, the ballot panel has given the Nationalist Congress Party identify and image to the faction led by Ajit Pawar in a major determination that’s prone to have a bearing on the forthcoming polls. The Election Commission additionally offered the Sharad Pawar faction with a one-time choice to decide on a reputation for its new political entity and supply three preferences to the ballot physique. The concession is to be utilised by 3 pm on February 7, 2024, the ballot physique mentioned.
Â
EC settles the dispute within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), guidelines in favour of the faction led by Ajit Pawar, after greater than 10 hearings unfold over greater than 6 months.
Election Commission of India offers a one-time choice to assert a reputation for its new political formation… pic.twitter.com/1BU5jW3tcR
— ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2024
Â
Welcoming the EC determination, Ajit Pawar faction chief Praful Patel mentioned, “We welcome the ruling of the Election Commission…We live in a democracy and any decision can be challenged. Maybe attempts will be made to challenge this at the Supreme Court or High Court…All I would like to say is that the decision we made was correct and through EC, our decision has been proven correct.”
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis additionally congratulated NCP chief Ajit Pawar after ECI dominated the NCP identify and image matter in favour of his faction.
However, Sharad Pawar’s daughter and MP Supriya Sule mentioned, “…Our documents were fine. The founder member and founder leader of this party is only Sharad Pawar…But now the atmosphere is something else right now. There is an ‘adrishya shakti’ in the country which is doing all this. We will fight…We will definitely go to Supreme Court…”
She went on so as to add, ”…I believe what occurred with Shiv Sena is what is occurring with us as we speak. So, this isn’t a brand new order. Just the names have been modified however the content material is similar…”
Celebrations At Ajit Pawar’s Mumbai OfficeÂ
Celebrations started exterior Ajit Pawar’s workplace in Mumbai quickly after the EC dominated in favour of their faction.
EC Decision Shakes Up NCP Dynamics
The determination, introduced on Tuesday, not solely grants legitimacy to the Ajit Pawar faction but in addition bestows upon it the coveted NCP identify and image, setting the stage for upcoming electoral contests. Facing a decent deadline, the Sharad Pawar-led faction has been provided a one-time alternative to christen its new political entity and submit three most popular names to the Commission by February 7, 2024, by 3 pm.
EC Verdict After More Than 10 Hearings
Following an exhaustive course of spanning over six months and encompassing greater than ten hearings, the EC meticulously weighed the deserves of each factions’ contentions.
Prolonged Legal Battle In Court
The authorized battle witnessed formidable illustration from luminaries comparable to Mukul Rohatgi, Neeraj Kishan Kaul, and Maninder Singh for the petitioner, countered by the experience of Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Devdatt Kamat from the respondent camp.
Central to the EC’s determination was the dedication of the faction holding sway over the get together’s legislative wing, which in the end favoured the Ajit Pawar-led contingent. Serious discrepancies within the Sharad Pawar faction’s claims, significantly relating to organizational majority and adherence to the get together structure, undermined the credibility of their assertions. Given the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra, the EC has prolonged a particular allowance to the Sharad Pawar faction, urging compliance with electoral laws.
EC Seeks Transparency In Political Processes
In a broader admonition, the Commission urged political entities to embrace transparency of their inner affairs, emphasizing the necessity for complete disclosures relating to organizational elections and democratic procedures.
Call For Public Disclosure
Proposing voluntary public disclosures, together with get together constitutions, electoral procedures, and office-bearer lists on get together web sites, the EC seeks to empower the voters with essential data, thereby enriching the democratic course of.
