NCP crisis: Sharad Pawar shoots 'strong-worded' letter to poll body over party symbol claim by Ajit Pawar faction
Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) national executive meeting held by Sharad Pawar has drawn a sharp response from the Ajit Pawar faction, which said it has "no legal sanctity".
Sharad Pawar has also written to the election body, objecting to Ajit Pawar's claim for party symbol.
The meeting ratified the expulsion of nine rebel MLAs who took oath as ministers in the ruling alliance, and Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and SR Kohli who have sided with the rebels. All 27 state units of the party are with Sharad Pawar, media reports said.
The Ajit Pawar faction said the dispute on who represents the real NCP is "within the exclusive jurisdiction" of the Election Commission. Till it is decided no one can call "any meeting," a statement read.
Sharad Pawar has written to the Election Commission, questioning why he was not informed about his nephew staking a claim for the party symbol. The Commission, he said, was expected to inform him about his nephew's petition in view of the caveat he filed.
According to media reports, Pawar Senior will take legal advice and confer with party leaders about the way ahead. Leaders of the rebel faction are also in Delhi, but away from the party office here emotive posters supporting the 83-year-old founder of NCP have come up.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Sharad Pawar said: "I am the president of NCP, if someone says (that he is the president) then it is completely false, there's no truth in it. There's no importance if someone (Ajit Pawar) says something".
Ajit Pawar-led NCP has informed the Election Commission that he has been elected national president of the party "through a resolution dated June 30, 2023, signed by an overwhelming majority" of members of the party.
While Ajit Pawar claimed the support of over 40 MLAs and MLCs, about 29 MLAs were seen on the stage at the meeting called by him. The other faction paraded 17 MLAs.
Pawar, who took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra last week said that he wants to be the "Chief Minister someday".
