NCP Factions Seek Equal Treatment from Supreme Court Ahead of State Elections
NCP leader Supriya Sule has announced that her party has approached the Supreme Court, requesting equal treatment for the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Sharing their appeal on September 21, 2024, she emphasized their demand for "natural justice" and clarified that just as the Sharad Pawar faction was assigned a new poll symbol, the same should apply to the Ajit Pawar-led group.
The request is pivotal with the State Assembly elections anticipated in November. The NCP experienced a division in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar, accompanied by several MLAs, allied with the Shiv Sena-BJP government, diverging from the NCP founded by Sharad Pawar, who originally used the ‘clock’ symbol.
In a previous ruling, the Election Commission allocated the NCP name and ‘clock’ symbol to Ajit Pawar’s faction in February 2024. Subsequently, on March 19, the Supreme Court authorized the Sharad Pawar group to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar’ and a ‘man blowing turha’ symbol. This decision came as the Sharad Pawar faction contested the exclusive use of the ‘clock’ symbol.
On Friday, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP moved to ensure both factions receive new symbols, with the matter set for a hearing on September 25. Sule stressed that Sharad Pawar, as the party’s founding member, should lead the decision-making and highlighted the current confusion over the ‘clock’ symbol ahead of the Vidhan Sabha elections.
Additionally, the Supreme Court had noted that the Ajit Pawar faction must not use Sharad Pawar’s name and images for political benefits. In February, the Supreme Court upheld the Election Commission’s earlier directive, maintaining the use of ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar’ for Sharad Pawar’s faction until further notice.
The split traces back to 1999 when Sharad Pawar established the NCP alongside former Lok Sabha speakers P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar after their expulsion from the Congress. The decision by the Supreme Court is eagerly awaited as it aims to resolve the symbol controversy before the impending state elections.
Published: September 22, 2024, 12:52 pm IST
Original Story https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/maharashtra/give-new-poll-symbol-to-ajit-pawar-led-ncp-too-sharad-pawar-group/article68670231.ece
Category : Maharashtra
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