After EC setback, Sharad Pawar-led faction gets new name

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has designated 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the official name for the Sharad Pawar faction on Wednesday.

The Election Commission had asked the Sharad Pawar faction to propose three names for consideration in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections for six seats in Maharashtra. In response, the Sharad Pawar faction suggested: Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadrao Pawar, and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar.

The EC then conveyed to Pawar that it had "acceded to your first preference" i.e. 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar', as the name.

In addition to the names, the faction also requested the symbol of a 'banyan tree' for their election campaign.

In a big boost for the Ajit Pawar, the poll panel had on Tuesday allowed the faction led by the Maharashtra deputy chief minister to use the official party name as well as the clock symbol.

Sharad Pawar, who is the founder of NCP, was told to get a new party name and the 'clock' symbol ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Earlier today, followers of Sharad Pawar, the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), expressed their disapproval of the Election Commission's ruling of the Ajit Pawar faction as the authentic NCP. They demonstrated their discontent by wearing black ribbons in Pune and its nearby areas.

(With inputs from agencies)