Election Commission to hear requests from Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in NCP party name-symbol dispute

 Election Commission to hear requests from Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar in NCP party name-symbol dispute

The Election Commission of India (ECI) will today hear the appeals of both factions over claims on the party name and emblem, amid a dispute between the factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, respectively, head two factions of the NCP. The matter before ECI is being heard for the first time today.

Ajit Pawar approached the Election Commission earlier in July to stake a claim to the NCP.

Later, the Election Commission acknowledged the split in a letter to both sections of the party and instructed Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar to exchange whatever documents they had given to the election body.

Supriya Sule, an NCP member, asserted earlier this month that there is no internal strife in the organization. 

While Ajit Pawar had stated that he would respect the electoral body's final judgment.

"The final decision will be made by the Election Commission...Both parties will be represented before the Election Commission after receiving the dates...The final judgment that follows, I will accept," he declared.

While Ajit Pawar was sworn in as deputy chief minister on July 2, his notice to the ECI office arrived there on July 5. Ajit Pawar had submitted the petition to the ECI on June 30.

In order to prove his case, Ajit Pawar included affidavits from MPs, MLAs, and MLCs with the petition.

In other events, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday attacked the BJP-led central government over the detention of AAP MP Sanjay Singh in relation to a liquor excise policy case, charging the BJP with abusing agencies like the CBI and ED against the opposition.

He claimed that the ED and CBI were being overused when they had no evidence against the opposition.

Sanjay Singh, an AAP politician and Rajya Sabha member, was detained by the ED on Wednesday in connection with the now-discredited liquor policy case.

The INDIA bloc's leaders responded angrily to the arrest of the AAP MP.