Ajit Pawar moves Election Commission to stake claim for NCP symbol

The Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) factional fight has reached the doorstep of the Election Commission with the group led by Ajit Pawar filing over 40 affidavits of MLAs and MPs in his support to stake claim for NCP symbol.

The Sharad Pawar camp has filed a caveat with the poll authority urging it to hear them first before passing any directive in connection with the factional fight, Election Commission sources told PTI.

Media reports said ECI has issued a notice to Sharad Pawar to respond to Ajit Pawar's plea. Meanwhile, the Ajit Pawar faction, which claimed to have the backing of 42 MLAs, flaunted 30 MLAs in a big show of strength. A total of 13 MLAs were present at the Sharad Pawar-led meeting at YB Chavan centre in Mumbai.

The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar, claiming support of over 40 MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. Nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn-in as ministers in the Maharashtra government at a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar, with senior party leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil by his side, asserted to be the real NCP.

Sharad Pawar also asserted to be the real NCP, and expelled Patel and Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare from the party. It had also written to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking to disqualify the nine MLAs who were sworn-in as ministers on Sunday.

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