In a new twist to the ongoing internal conflict within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Sharad Pawar-led faction has leveled serious allegations of forgery and errors against the faction led by Ajit Pawar. The dispute centers around approximately 20,000 affidavits submitted by the Ajit Pawar-led faction to the Election Commission (EC) in an attempt to claim the party's name and poll symbol.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP has accused the rival faction of resorting to forgery, citing instances of filing affidavits on behalf of deceased individuals and minors. Additionally, they claim that positions mentioned in the affidavits do not align with the NCP constitution. The party has also pointed out discrepancies in the statements made by individuals such as housewives and a Zomato sales manager.
Briefing reporters on the hearing before the EC, Sharad Pawar faction's counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi said in the nearly 90-minute hearing, he presented to the Commission "startling, amazing, shocking facts" to show the "complete falsity" of the affidavits filed by the Ajit Pawar faction.
"We have given 24 categories of fraud to the EC," he said, adding that nearly 9,000 affidavits were analysed by the Sharad Pawar group to prove that the evidence filed by Ajit Pawar group were false.”
"The fraud relates to affidavit filed by dead persons, the fraud relates to filing affidavits of minors, the fraud relates to taking names of posts which never existed in the constitution of NCP," he said. "These are very serious. We have requested the Commission that you have to take penal action, criminal action, you have to file complaints for false evidence," the senior advocate said.
In response, Sunil Tatkare, Maharashtra president of the rebel NCP faction said there were technical errors, which are minor in nature. He also said that these points were raised by the other faction as an attempt to postpone the hearing. “They were trying to postpone the hearings by pointing out minor technical errors. The election commission accepted our demand for a regular hearing, which will start from November 20,” Tatkare told reporters.
The Commission has fixed November 20 as the next date of hearing. Thursday was the third personal hearing by the EC. In such matters, the poll panel works as a quasi-judicial body and the case is heard by the chief election commissioner and fellow election commissioners.