People don't change their mind easily, even if symbol changes: Sharad Pawar

In anticipation of an Election Commission hearing to decide the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the faction led by Sharad Pawar reportedly attempted to demonstrate its strength in the national capital on Thursday. The veteran leader expressed confidence that his group would receive the support of the people, regardless of the election symbol clock.

The 82-year-old Pawar chaired the NCP’s extended working committee meeting which expressed confidence in his leadership and strongly condemned the actions of a few elected representatives, who defected from the party. The meeting took place on the eve before the Election Commission hearing concerning the competing claims for the party name and election symbol put forth by rival factions led by Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar.

Addressing a large gathering here, Pawar said he had contested elections on different party symbols and won even as he sought to make light of the possibility of his group losing the poll symbol to the rival faction led by Ajit Pawar. The mood of the nation is changing. The common man is smart even if the election symbol is changed, people don’t change their mind easily, Pawar said.

The seasoned leader noted that he had participated in his initial election in 1967 under the election symbol of a pair of bullocks. He further mentioned that three years later, in another election, he ran under the symbol of a charkha (spinning wheel) and emerged victorious. Pawar went on to state that he had contested elections using symbols like cow and a calf, hand, and clock at different points in his political career. The entire party reaffirms its unwavering faith in the leadership of Shri Sharad Pawar and is preparing for future elections in the country under his guidance and vision, the resolution adopted at the meeting said.

Our resolution is a strong response to those who are claiming to be the real NCP. Election symbols are an important factor, but democracy has evolved so much in this country that people do not change their mind even if the election symbol is changed, Pawar said. He expressed confidence that the nation will witness a change in the elections next year.