After the NCP split, there was a dispute over who gets to use the party symbol. The Election Commission had to step in to decide. They ended up giving the NCP name and symbol to Ajit Pawar's group, which is a big blow to the Sharad Pawar group. Now, the Sharad Pawar group has to come up with a new party name and symbol for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. People from the Sharad Pawar group are not happy with this decision and are openly criticizing both Ajit Pawar and the Election Commission. MP Supriya Sule even suggested that some hidden force might have influenced the decision. This whole situation has caused a lot of accusations and arguments in the political circles. One of the Nationalist Sharad Pawar MLAs, Jitendra Awad, also shared his thoughts.
Jitendra Awad indirectly referenced Ajit Pawar on Twitter, saying, "The person who was not loyal and truthful to his uncle, How can he be truthful to the people." Meanwhile, Jayant Patil, state president of the Sharad Pawar group of NCP, stated that they will challenge the Election Commission's decision in the Supreme Court, expressing confidence in receiving justice. In response, Ajit Pawar expressed acceptance of the decision given by the Election Commission after hearing their lawyers' side. The commission stated that there were no intra-party elections and confirmed Ajit Pawar's group as the authentic NCP Congress, supported by 5 MLAs and an MP who provided a letter from both sides.
On the other hand, right now Pawar faction is scrambling to propose new party branding options. Potential symbols under consideration include a rising sun, cups, sunflowers, and glasses. The rising sun appears to be the frontrunner, while names like "Sharad Pawar Congress," "I NCP," and "Sharad Swabhimani Paksha" are being tested. The group faces a tight timeframe, with the CEC demanding their final choices by Wednesday evening. However, they are also preparing to challenge the CEC's decision in the Supreme Court. Supriya Sule, a Pawar faction leader, stated, "Everyone knows who founded NCP. The Election Commission has not done us justice. So we are going to appeal to the Supreme Court."