Election Commission ruled under “pressure from above", claims Sharad Pawar-led faction of NCP

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Members of the Sharad Pawar-led group of the Nationalist Congress Party have criticized the Election Commission's ruling declaring the Ajit Pawar faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), alleging that the decision was made under external pressure.

Anil Deshmukh, a former Maharashtra minister, described the decision as a "murder of democracy" and lamented the unfortunate turn of events.

Speaking to a television channel, Deshmukh suggested that the Election Commission succumbed to pressure from higher authorities, although he refrained from providing further details on the matter.

"The poll panel gave this ruling under "pressure from above," Deshmukh told a TV channel. He did not elaborate, as reported by newswire PTI.

The Election Commission's decision, which concluded months of speculation regarding the internal feud between Ajit Pawar and party founder Sharad Pawar, also granted the NCP symbol 'wall clock' to the faction led by Ajit Pawar.

The Commission justified its ruling by citing established criteria for assessing the validity of such petitions, including examinations of the party's constitution, organizational elections, and legislative majority.

In this case, the Commission noted that both factions were operating outside the party's constitution and organizational framework. However, the Ajit Pawar faction's ability to demonstrate majority support in the legislative wing favored their claim to the party's legitimacy.

"The test of majority in the legislative wing found favour in this circumstance of the case, where both groups have found to be working outside the party constitution and the organisational elections," the poll authority observed.

Background

On July 3, 2023, Ajit Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, was sworn in as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, aligning himself with the existing coalition government of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Shortly thereafter, on July 5, he filed a petition with the Election Commission of India, asserting his claim to the 'symbol' and 'name' of the Nationalist Congress Party. He maintained the support of 40 members from Parliament, legislative assembly, and legislative council, citing a resolution passed on June 30, 2023, appointing him as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party.

Initially, Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party, played down rumors of a party split. In his initial response, he contended that there was no evidence supporting a division within the Nationalist Congress Party. He also argued that Ajit Pawar's petition should be dismissed as 'mala fide' and 'premature,' emphasizing that Ajit Pawar had not raised any grievances against him or utilized internal party remedies.

The reluctance of the Ajit Pawar faction to submit to the ECI's jurisdiction stems from past ECI decisions on similar intra-party disputes, as these decisions determine the 'real' political party. (With inputs from agencies)