Sharad faction to use party name cleared by EC till further orders: SC
Hindustan TimesThe Supreme Court on Monday directed that the Election Commission ’s order allotting the name of ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar’ for the faction led by Sharad Pawar will continue till further orders, even as it sought a response from the group led by his nephew, Ajit Pawar, on a petition against the poll body’s recognition of his faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party. HT Image “We would like to examine the matter,” a bench of justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan said while hearing a petition filed by Sharad Pawar against the poll panel’s order that gave the NCP name and symbol to the faction led by Ajit Pawar and recognised it as the “real” NCP based on its numerical strength in the state legislature. I will be subject to the whip issued by Ajit Pawar faction,” Singhvi said, adding: “Allow me to continue with the name allotted to me till the elections in May and approach the EC for getting a symbol.” To this, the bench said: “The order passed by the EC on February 6 granting the petitioner the right to use the name ‘NCP-Sharad Chandra Pawar’ for purposes of symbols order shall continue to operate. At some stage, let the voter have some say.” Sharad Pawar described as a victory of voters the Supreme Court ruling that his faction can use the name “NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar” till further orders.