The Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP on Monday urged the Election Commission to take penal action against the Ajit Pawar group, alleging it filed fake affidavits before the poll panel.Appearing for the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the Election Commission of India despite of the shocking development.The submissions happened during the ECI’s hearing of the dispute between the rival factions of the NCP over the party name and symbol. The ECI adjourned the case to Friday. The Ajit Pawar faction has claimed that it represents the real NCP and that the party name and symbol should be allotted to it, while the Sharad Pawar faction has argued that Ajit Pawar’s claim is false.Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule were present before the ECI at Monday’s hearing, while from the Ajit Pawar faction, state NCP president Sunil Tatkare attended.
The Sharad Pawar faction submitted that the Ajit Pawar faction was misleading the commission by submitting false documents. It cited an affidavit submitted by NCP general secretary Kuwar Pratap Singh, who is with the Sharad Pawar faction, to the effect that he is with Pawar Senior. The Ajit Pawar faction too has submitted an affidavit signed by Kuwar Pratap Singh, which according to the Sharad Pawar faction is false. The Sharad Pawar faction has raised a question mark over the appointment of Ajit Pawar as NCP president. It pointed out that when Sharad Pawar was elected party president, his proposer was Ajit Pawar, but now, ten months after, Ajit Pawar has staked claim on the party president’s post. The Sharad Pawar faction also said it was keen to know when Ajit Pawar was elected as NCP president, who was the returning officer for the election process and if anyone saw the coverage of the meeting on electronic media.
Ajit Pawar, along with eight others from the NCP, were sworn in as members of state cabinet on July 2, while the Sharad Pawar group filed a caveat before the ECI on July 5. The Ajit Pawar faction submitted that at a meeting held on June 30, Ajit was elected national president of the party and claimed the support of 40 legislators.