Sharad Pawar faction gets new name as Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar : EC

Following the Election Commission’s declaration of the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the real NCP, with control over the party name and symbol, the opposing camp led by Sharad Pawar has been given the name the ‘Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar’.

This decision came swiftly, just a day after the EC’s ruling, as the Sharad Pawar camp was granted a special allowance to choose a new name and emblem for the imminent Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

The Election Commission’s decision, rooted in a dispute dating back to July of the previous year, relied on the assessment of the majority within the party’s legislative wing. The total count of MPs, MLAs, and MLCs affiliated with the NCP was tallied to be 81, with 57 lending their support to Ajit Pawar and 28 backing Sharad Pawar. Additionally, affidavits from five MLAs and one Lok Sabha MP were submitted in support of both factions. Even with the exclusion of these six dual-affiliation members, the EC determined that Ajit Pawar’s faction held the majority support.

In response, the Sharad Pawar-led faction swiftly rebranded itself, embracing the new identity of the ‘Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar’, as they prepare for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.

They were granted a limited timeframe by the poll body to submit their preferred name and symbol, which they promptly finalized within the stipulated time frame, readying themselves for the political challenges ahead.