In a significant development within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar delivered a crucial verdict on Thursday regarding the ongoing dispute between the two factions led by Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar respectively. Speaker Narwekar announced that “Ajit Pawar’s faction is the real NCP,” dismissing the disqualification petitions filed by both factions against each other.

The Speaker’s decision was primarily based on the factor of legislative majority, with Narwekar asserting that Ajit Pawar’s camp substantially outnumbers the Sharad Pawar faction in the state legislature. “I hold that the Ajit Pawar faction enjoys an overwhelming majority within the NCP,” Narwekar declared.

Highlighting the provisions of the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with the disqualification of legislators on grounds of defection, Speaker Narwekar emphasized that such provisions should not be manipulated to stifle opposition voices. He warned against any abuse of the law, emphasizing its contravention to the spirit of democracy.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) recently allocated the party name ‘NCP’ and the poll symbol ‘clock’ to the group led by Ajit Pawar. However, this decision has been met with resistance from the Sharad Pawar faction, who have challenged the EC’s decision in the Supreme Court.

Sharad Pawar, in his plea filed on February 13, denounced the EC’s move as “unconstitutional,” arguing that mere majority isn’t the sole criterion under the Symbols Act. Pawar criticized the EC for allegedly favoring one faction over the other, stating that the decision has effectively wrested control of the party from its founders.

Expressing his dismay over the Election Commission’s decision, Sharad Pawar emphasized the importance of ideology and program over symbols, stating that the party’s essence shouldn’t be compromised for temporary gains.