Amid fight for NCP symbol, Sharad Pawar camp says Team Ajit’s petition ‘premature’
The Sharad Pawar camp informed the Election Commission of India that Team Ajit’s petition seeking claim to the NCP was “premature and unwarranted”.
The tug of war between the factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit respectively, to establish their claim over the party continues.
In a recent development, Jitendra Awhad, an MLA from Sharad Pawar's camp, asserted that the letter submitted by Ajit Pawar's camp to the Election Commission of India (ECI) came after the swearing-in ceremony on July 2. He said that it provided solid grounds for the rejection of Ajit Pawar's petition.
On August 3, 2023, the Sharad Pawar camp responded to the Election Commission, seeking details of the documents submitted by Ajit Pawar's camp to lay claim to the NCP name and party symbol. This response came after the Election Commission had reached out to Sharad Pawar's camp last month to inquire about their stance on the party's status.
India Today accessed excerpts from the written reply by the Sharad Pawar camp to the poll panel. Some crucial points mentioned in the reply include:
- There is no existing dispute in the party under Para 15 of the Symbols Order, and the ECI has not yet determined any dispute
- Ajit Pawar's petition is premature and unwarranted as he did not raise any grievances or seek remedies before July 1, 2023, regarding the issues mentioned in his petition
- Despite filing a Caveat, the ECI took no action or provided any documents filed by Ajit Pawar
- Once the ECI confirms the accurate date of Ajit Pawar's petition, comprehensive comments on the existence of any dispute can be provided.
The NCP MLA from Sharad Pawar's camp claimed that the letter submitted by Ajit Pawar's camp to the ECI staking a claim over the NCP party was on July 5 and not on June 30, as claimed earlier last month by Praful Patel, the working president of NCP.
Jitendra Awhad added, "We have replied to the Election Commission's letter and clarified that there is no split in the NCP. In fact, we have requested the letters submitted by Ajit Pawar's camp to the Election Commission, claiming ownership of the party, for further clarity."
Awhad also explained that the Supreme Court, in its order regarding the Shiv Sena case, ruled that the legislature party cannot be considered a political party. MLAs are merely the link between the party and the legislative structure. If they decide to leave the party, the link is broken. However, that doesn't imply that the party belongs to the legislative party, he added.
He further mentioned that the then Secretary-General of the party, Praful Patel, had written a letter to the Election Commission in 2022, confirming Sharad Pawar as the National President of the party. Consequently, they have demanded the disqualification of the MLAs who joined the ruling alliance and were sworn in as ministers in both Maharashtra's legislative assembly and Parliament.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Tatkare, spokesperson for Ajit Pawar's camp, stated that they will respond to the ECI's notice and present their version. He added that these technical issues are being analysed by their legal team and will be addressed adequately.
