EC grants three weeks extension to Sharad Pawar, Ajit factions for replies to notice on NCP's name and symbol

The Election Commission on Wednesday granted three more weeks to the Nationalist Congress Party factions to respond to their notice related to the party's name and official symbol. The Sharad Pawar faction had sought four weeks in a letter to the poll panel. Both the factions will need to respond to the notice on September 8.On July 27, the poll panel had issued notices to both Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar factions and asked for their replies by August 17, i.e tomorrow.  The poll panel had also received affidavits from 40 MPs, MLAs and MLCs along with a resolution by rebel faction members that they elected Ajit Pawar as the NCP chief.

The faction led by Sharad Pawar had decided not to move the EC until the poll panel took cognisance of the claims by rebel group. On July 3, the Pawar faction had moved disqualification motion against nine NCP MLAs including Ajit Pawar who took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis coalition government. Three days later, the Pawar faction expelled all the nine MLAs, along with working president Praful Patel and general secretary Sunil Tatkare. The decision was taken in the working committee of the party held in Delhi. Meanwhile, as suspense builds within the Maharashtra opposition alliance over a meeting between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, the veteran politician has trashed claims that he has been offered a Union Minister post in exchange of deserting the INDIA bloc and tying up with the BJP. The meeting took place at a Pune businessman's residence on Saturday, over a month after Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-led government backed by the BJP. Since then, both factions are in tussle to control the NCP. The meeting sparked speculation that Ajit Pawar may be trying to convince Sharad Pawar, a key face of opposition's INDIA bloc, to shift his allegiance. Mr Pawar later said some "well-wishers" were trying to convince him to tie up with the BJP, but added that he had no such plan.