NCP split: Supriya Sule says her group will seek justice; board with Ajit Pawar name defaced in Pune

Supriya Sule. File Pic

Lok Sabha member and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday said her faction will approach relevant forums to seek "complete justice" in the dispute related to the party and the 2023 split, reported news agency PTI.

Earlier in the day, the Election Commission allotted 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the group led by Sharad Pawar.

The order by the poll authority came a day after it gave the Nationalist Congress Party name and the "clock" election symbol to the group led by Ajit Pawar, who had walked away with a majority NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly in July last year and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government.

NCP split: Sule says her faction will approach relevant forums

Sule, daughter of Sharad Pawar, said her faction will approach relevant forums to seek "complete justice", reported PTI.

The Lok Sabha MP also reposted her party's post about the EC order on social media platform X, saying it has given an interim arrangement for their faction.

"The ECI has given an interim arrangement for us to be recognised as the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar. We shall be approaching the relevant forum to seek complete justice nevertheless," said the party's post.

Several of her party colleagues, including Jayant Patil, reposted it.

NCP split: Awhad raises doubts over the EC verdict

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and MLA Jitendra Awhad raised doubts over the EC verdict on giving the party name and symbol to the Ajit Pawar faction.

"The Supreme Court has already stated that majority of elected representatives alone can not decide who would control and lead a political party. Despite that, the EC accepted Ajit Pawar faction's claim and gave its decision," said the former minister, reported PTI.

Awhad said details of the June 30, 2023 meeting, called by a section in the NCP in Mumbai two days ahead of the split, were suppressed.

"The Ajit Pawar faction claimed that during the meeting held on June 30, 2023, Ajit Pawar was appointed as the national leader of the party. How many people were there, who gave the notice for that meeting?" he asked, reported PTI.

NCP split: Supporters of the Sharad Pawar faction deface board bearing the name of Ajit Pawar

Meanwhile, supporters of the Sharad Pawar group, while protesting the EC's decision on Tuesday, defaced a board bearing the name of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar which was placed at the entrance of the NCP office in Pune, reported PTI.

In the evening, party functionaries belonging to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP sought an explanation from Prashant Jagtap, the city unit president of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) over the defacement of Ajit Pawar's name on the board, reported PTI.

Jagtap accepted the act was wrong and said though there is a split in the party, supporters on both sides should respect senior leaders of each other's factions, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)