Sharad Pawar seeks urgent hearing in SC against EC order recognising Ajit-led faction as real NCP

NEW DELHI: Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction has sought an urgent hearing in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's decision to acknowledge the Ajit Pawar-led group as the authentic NCP.

The move, the Sharad Pawar-led group alleged, has left the faction in a complex situation as they now face the prospect of being subject to the directives of the Ajit Pawar group in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly session, scheduled to commence on February 20. CJI assured advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Sharad Pawar, to look into the urgent listing of his plea against EC order.

The Maharashtra Assembly Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, declared on Thursday that based on legislative majority considerations, the Ajit Pawar-led faction is the genuine NCP. In his announcement, the Speaker underscored that this decision was rooted in the factor of legislative majority, as the leadership structure of the NCP and its constitution failed to provide conclusive evidence.

The Speaker addressed and dismissed the disqualification petitions lodged by the Sharad Pawar faction against the Ajit Pawar faction. According to the Speaker, the actions and statements made particularly by Ajit Pawar and supporting MLAs, were deemed as intra-party dissent rather than a defection from the NCP party. Narwekar also ruled out disqualification for any member of the Sharad Pawar faction, stating that no one from that group stands disqualified.