Supreme Court notice to Ajit Pawar’s faction of NCP on Sharad Pawar’s plea challenging EC decision

Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to Ajit Pawar faction of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the plea filed by the Sharad Pawar's faction against the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which recognized Ajit Pawar's faction as the ‘real’ NCP. The apex court said that the ECI order granting Sharad Pawar faction Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar name shall continue.

A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, comprising Justice K V Viswanathan asked the Sharad Pawar faction to move to ECI for allotment of a new symbol and observed that it must be recorded within a week of application. The court posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks.

The development came as the Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear the urgent plea of Sharad Pawar faction of NCP challenging the order of Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar, who ruled that the MLAs of Ajit Pawar faction will not be disqualified under anti-defection law as the provisions cannot be used to stifle dissent within a party.

Notably, the Ajit Pawar faction already submitted a caveat to the Supreme Court seeking a hearing in the matter.

NCP vs NCP

On 7 February, the ECI announced its decision on the dispute between two factions of the NCP and ruled in the favour of Ajit Pawar faction on the basis of the ‘Test of Majority.’ “The Commission examined the affidavits of support filed by both the factions and concluded that the group led by the Petitioner (Ajit Pawar) enjoyed majority support among the legislators,” the election body said.

Sharad Pawar has expressed his disappointment with the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and asked how a party can be snatched away from its founders. “EC snatched party from hands of those who founded and built it and gave it to others; such a thing never happened before," Sharad Pawar said as per the news agency PTI.