2 days before oath, Ajit Pawar moved EC, sought recognition as ‘real NCP’

The EC has also received an undated letter claiming Ajit Pawar’s election as NCP president.

Ajit, nephew of NCP president Sharad Pawar, joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra on Sunday; eight other NCP legislators owing allegiance to him also took oath as ministers.

Sharad Pawar has taken action against the rival group by removing them from party membership.

According to the source, Ajit Pawar sent a petition dated June 30 to the EC under Para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, which deals with the poll panel’s “power in relation to splinter groups or rival sections of a recognised political party”. The para says the EC can decide, after taking into account all available facts and hearing representatives of all sections, if one or none of the groups is indeed that recognised party.

Three days later, on July 3, the EC received an email from NCP’s Maharashtra unit president Jayant Patil filing a caveat, the source said. The source said Patil, who is in the Sharad Pawar camp, also sent a letter to the EC on July 3, informing the panel that disqualification proceedings against the nine MLAs had been initiated before the “competent authority” — the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker.

The EC will take into account the communications received and take action as per the legal provisions, the source added.

Earlier this year, the EC had decided the dispute between two factions of the Shiv Sena — led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray. The Shinde group had moved the EC in 2022, staking claim to the party name and symbol.

In February 2023, the EC decided in favour of the Shinde camp, relying on the test of the majority.