India: Sharad Pawar’s faction gets a new name after losing ‘real NCP’ identity

The Election Commission approved a new name for Sharad Pawar's NCP faction —Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar. Earlier, the senior Pawar faction had submitted three options for a new name to the Election Commission of India.

The group also expressed its preference for the banyan tree as its new symbol. The three names suggested by the Sharad Pawar group were Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar and Nationalist Congress Party Sharadrao Pawar.

The organisation desired to keep the initials of its founder and seasoned leader, Sharad Pawar, together with the words "Nationalist" and "Congress" in its new moniker. Additionally, the faction intends to adopt the banyan tree as its new emblem, signifying harmony, sturdiness, and longevity.

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The Election Commission had asked the Sharad Pawar group to claim a new name and provide three preferences by Wednesday 4 pm, as the notification for the Rajya Sabha elections from Maharashtra is to be issued on February 8. Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar group has challenged the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and allot it the clock symbol in the Supreme Court.

The Election Commission is prejudiced and swayed by the ruling BJP at the Centre, alleged leaders of the Sharad Pawar faction.They claimthat the Ajit Pawar faction has falsified documents and signatures in order to claim ownership of the NCP name and symbol.

The NCP split into two factions after Ajit Pawar, the nephew of Sharad Pawar, rebelled against him and joined hands with the government in Maharashtra in November 2023.

Earlier also Ajit Pawar had rebelled but eventually rejoined the NCP and backed the Congress and Shiv Sena in forming the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

(With inputs from agencies)