In the midst of internal conflicts within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Ajit Pawar, heading one faction approached the Election Commission. His objective was to assert ownership over the name and symbol of the party, which was founded by his uncle, Sharad Pawar. Ajit Pawar's faction presented more than 40 affidavits from supporting MLAs and MPs as part of their claim.

In response to the situation, the faction led by Sharad Pawar has submitted a caveat to the Election Commission (EC), requesting that they be given the opportunity to present their perspective before any directives are issued regarding the internal factional dispute.

Following the development, the Election Commission has instructed both factions to share the documents they have submitted for review. Reports suggest that the electoral authority is expected to review the applications and proceed with the necessary processing within a few days.

Meanwhile, NCP's Working President, Supriya Sule, came to the defense of her father, Sharad Pawar, affirming that the "original NCP" remains with him and the party's symbol represents their legitimacy. Sule emphasized that while disrespect towards them may be tolerated, disrespect towards Sharad Pawar is unacceptable. She further declared that their fight is against the BJP government, claiming it to be the most corrupt party in the country.

In the midst of the ongoing NCP crisis, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar individually conducted meetings with their respective MLAs in Mumbai. The NCP, comprising a total of 53 MLAs, saw a gathering of 29 legislators at the party meeting organized by Ajit Pawar. In contrast, the Sharad Pawar camp seemed to have the presence of 17 legislators during their meeting.

During the meeting held in suburban Bandra, Ajit Pawar appealed to his uncle, Sharad Pawar, to consider passing on the leadership to the younger generation. He drew attention to the retirement age norms followed by government servants and BJP leaders as examples. “You portrayed me as a villain in front of everyone. I still have deep respect for him (Sharad Pawar)...But you tell me, IAS officers retire at 60...even in politics - BJP leaders retire at 75. You can see the example of LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi...That allows the new generation to rise...You (Sharad Pawar) give us your blessings,” he said.

Supriya Sule, the working president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), responded strongly to Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who made remarks targeting her father and party veteran, Sharad Pawar, regarding his age.

“Disrespect us, but not our father (Sharad Pawar). This fight is against the Bharatiya Janata Party government. The BJP is the most corrupt party in the country,” Sule said in Mumbai.

Supriya Sule further emphasized that the true NCP remains with Sharad Pawar, and the party's authentic symbol is represented by them, reiterating her earlier stance.

Image source: TOI