‘Sharad Pawar Swabhimani Party’ in Works? Cup of Tea, Rising Sun Among Options for Symbol…

In a major setback to the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday, Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the Ajit Pawar camp to be the real NCP.

After losing its “clock” symbol, the Sharad Pawar camp is staging a protest outside its office today. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar will visit Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak temple at 11:30 am.

The poll body’s ruling in Ajit Pawar’s favour came after completion of more than 10 hearings spread over six months. The ECI said that the ‘test of the legislative majority’ helped the Ajit Pawar faction clinch the NCP symbol amid the disputed internal organisational elections.

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1. In the Sharad Pawar camp meeting in Delhi, name and symbol for the new party are being discussed. Sources said ‘Sharad Pawar Congress, Me (Mei) Nationalist, Sharad Pawar Swabhimani Party’ are among the names that are being discussed. While ‘cup of tea, sunflower, glasses, and rising sun’ are in the mix for the symbol.
2. Protest outside the Sharad Pawar faction’s office begins.
3. Senior NCP leaders Jitendra Awhad, Vandana Chavan, Sonia Duhan and Aditi Nalawade along with a team of lawyers met at Sharad Pawar’s Delhi residence on Wednesday.
4. Former Haryana CM and Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda arrived at Sharad Pawar’s residence on Wednesday and met with MP Supriya Sule amid stir over the ECI’s decision.
5. The Election Commission provided Sharad Pawar with a one-time option to claim a name for its new political formation and provide three preferences to the poll body by 3 pm on Wednesday.
6. Posters of ‘We Have Won’, ‘NCP is where Sharad Pawar is’ have been put up outside the Sharad Pawar faction’s office as it is set to stage a protest at 11 am today.
7. Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar will visit Mumbai’s renowned Siddhivinayak temple at 11:30 am today.
8. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut reacted to EC’s decision and said that “Sharad Pawar and NCP are synonymous and even the voters know that.” He said that the senior NCP leader will fight against the decision.
9. Senior leader Jayant Patil from the Sharad Pawar faction said that they will move the Supreme Court against the EC’s ruling, terming it to be their “last hope”. “It is our innocent expectation that the SC will stay the decision of the ECI. We have to stand firm behind Sharad Pawar. The party workers need not worry,” Patil added.
10. Maharashtra leader Anil Deshmukh, while reacting to the EC’s ruling, noted that the NCP was founded by Sharad Pawar and he had been the party’s president for years. “The Election Commission’s decision under pressure is the murder of democracy. This is unfortunate,” Deshmukh said.
11. The poll-governing body’s decision to give the “clock” symbol to Ajit Pawar’s NCP came as a big blow to the Sharad Pawar camp.
12. “In view of the aforesaid findings, this Commission holds that the faction led by the Petitioner, Sh. Ajit Anantrao Pawar, is the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and is entitled to use its name and reserved symbol “clock” for the purposes of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968,” the poll body said.
13. After more than ten hearings spread over six months, the Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced that Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party is the real NCP.

(With PTI inputs)