New Delhi (Agency): In a surprising escalation, the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) internal feud has now found its way to the Election Commission’s desk. Ajit Pawar, leading one of the warring factions, submitted over 40 affidavits from MPs and MLAs expressing their backing.
Simultaneously, the camp aligned with Sharad Pawar reached out to the electoral body with a caveat, urging the Commission to heed their narrative before passing any directives related to the ongoing strife, according to sources within the Election Commission.
As the commotion continues, the Election Commission is expected to review the applications in the forthcoming days and may require both factions to share the documents they have submitted.
The NCP, a political entity founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, suffered a schism on Sunday, with Ajit Pawar claiming the allegiance of more than 40 MLAs and formally associating with the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. In an unexpected cabinet expansion on the same day, nine NCP MLAs, Ajit Pawar included, were inaugurated as ministers in the Maharashtra government.
With the backing of influential party leaders like Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Dilip Walse Patil, Ajit Pawar boldly claimed his faction as the legitimate NCP. Conversely, Sharad Pawar also asserted the authenticity of his faction and proceeded to expel Patel along with Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare from the party.
Adding another layer to this saga, the Sharad Pawar-led faction appealed to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, advocating for the disqualification of the nine MLAs who had been sworn in as ministers on Sunday.
