Maharashtra: Parful Patel welcomes ECI decision declaring Ajit Pawar faction 'real' NCP, says "our decision has been proven correct"

New Delhi [India], February 6 : Praful Patel, working president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday welcomed the decision of the Election Commission that recognised the faction led by Ajit Pawar as the "real NCP" in the dispute within the party and said that the ruling by the poll body has proven their claim correct.
Speaking to ANI, Patel said, "...We welcome the ruling of the Election Commission...We live in a democracy and any decision can be challenged. Maybe attempts will be made to challenge this at the Supreme Court or High Court...All I would like to say is that the decision we made was correct and through EC, our decision has been proven correct."
Ending months of speculation over the factional fight with his party founder and uncle Sharad Pawar, the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday declared Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real" Nationalist Congress Party.
Sharad Pawar, a former union minister, is the founder of NCP and uncle of Ajit Pawar.
The Commission has provided the Sharad Pawar faction with an option to claim a name to its new political formation and provide three preferences to the Commission. The concession is to be utilised by 3 pm on February 7, 2024.
The decision was taken after more than 10 hearings spread over more than six months.
The poll panel said that the decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of the petition, which included tests of aims and objectives of the party constitution, the test of the party constitution and tests of a majority both organizational and legislative.
On July 2 last year, Ajit Pawar left the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and joined the BJP-led NDA camp to become the Deputy Chief Minister for the fifth time.
Pawar took eight MLAs with him from the Sharad Pawar faction, which is currently in opposition in the state Legislative Assembly, to the Eknath Shinde-led government.
Earlier in 2019, he had joined hands with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and had taken an oath as the state's Deputy Chief Minister, along with Fadnavis as the Chief Minister. His rebellion from the party did not last for more than three days at the time and Pawar returned to the NCP fold. Currently, Fadnavis is also a Deputy Chief Minister in the state.
After being sworn in as the deputy CM in July, Ajit Pawar removed his uncle, Sharad Pawar, from the post of party president, and wrote to the Election Commission seeking recognition of his faction as the real NCP.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has meanwhile opposed the decision of the ECI, saying that Sharad Pawar will go to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling by the poll commission.
"First the EC said that the Shiv Sena belongs to Eknath Shinde... Now they have said that the NCP belongs to Ajit Pawar... The whole nation knows that NCP was founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999... We already knew this would happen... Sharad Pawar will go to the Supreme Court... The democracy is finished in this country... We have faith in the Supreme Court..." Shiv Sena UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey said.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has also welcomed the decision and said, "The Election Commission has ruled in our favour after listening to the arguments of our lawyers. We welcome this humbly."
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis congratulated Ajit Pawar after the decision by the ECI.
"Deputy Chief Minister Ajitdada Pawar who is a component party in our Grand Alliance has been recognized by the Election Commission as NCP party as well as watch symbol, I heartily congratulate him, all colleagues and workers," he said in a post on X.