Sharad Pawar’s faction of NCP suggests three names, ‘Banyan Tree’ as party symbol to EC: Sources

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Sharad Pawar has suggested three names for the party, a day after the Election Commission ruled that the faction led by Ajit Pawar is the original party, sources said.

According to reports, the names which have been suggested are: 

• Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar 
• Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Chandra Pawar 
• Nationalist Congress Party Sharadrao Pawar 

Sharad Pawar’s faction has also requested for ‘Banyan Tree’ as symbol for the party.

On Tuesday, in a major setback to party founder Sharad Pawar, the Election Commission ruled that the Ajit Pawar faction is the real Nationalist Congress Party.

In an order, the Election Commission (EC) also allotted the NCP symbol ‘Clock’ to the group led by Ajit Pawar.

The decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of such a petition which included tests of aims and objectives of party constitution, test of party constitution and tests of majority both organisational and legislative, the commission said.

“We humbly accept the decision given by the Election Commission after listening to the side presented by our lawyers,” Ajit Pawar said on ‘X’.

The Sharad Pawar faction termed the EC’s decision as murder of democracy. “This is the murder of democracy. What happened is unfortunate,” Anil Deshmukh, leader of the Sharad Pawar group, said.

“We are clearly doing two things. First, we are going to the Supreme Court in the next 48 hours. Second, the Election Commission has given us an option to give them three names and three symbols by tomorrow evening, so we will of course do that,” Sharad Pawar group leader Supriya Sule said.

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