Election Commission Grants NCP Factions Three-Week Extension For Response On Notices

The Election Commission on Wednesday extended the deadline by three weeks for the Nationalist Congress Party factions to provide their responses to the notice concerning the party's name and official symbol. The Sharad Pawar faction had originally requested a four-week extension through a letter to the electoral body. Both factions are required to submit their responses by September 8.

On July 27th, the election commission had dispatched notices to both the Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions, setting a deadline for their responses by tomorrow, August 17th. Additionally, the election commission received sworn statements from 40 MPs, MLAs, and MLCs, accompanied by a resolution from members of the rebel faction, affirming their selection of Ajit Pawar as the leader of the NCP.

The group led by Sharad Pawar had chosen not to approach the EC until the electoral body acknowledged the contentions presented by the rebel faction. Back on July 3, the Pawar-led group had initiated a motion for disqualification targeting nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, who had sworn in as the deputy chief minister during the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis coalition government.

Within three days, the Pawar faction expelled all nine MLAs, along with working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare. This resolution was reached during the party's working committee meeting held in Delhi.

Sharad Pawar says will not go with BJP

In a separate development, Pawar engaged in a private meeting with his nephew Ajit Pawar in Pune, generating conjecture about their future actions. The meeting, which lasted for three hours, occurred at the residence of an industrialist.

When questioned regarding the meeting, Pawar asserted that the discussion was not concealed. He stated, "What is amiss in meeting my nephew? If a senior family member wishes to meet another family member, there should be no cause for concern," he remarked. The NCP leader also affirmed his stance of never aligning with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"As the national president of the NCP, I want to clearly state that my party (NCP) will not form an alliance with the BJP. Any association with the Bharatiya Janata Party contradicts the NCP's political principles," he concluded.