After more than 10 hearings spread over more than 6 months, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday proclaimed that Ajit Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is the real NCP.
Responding to the decision, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said he “accepts with humility” the Election Commission’s ruling to declare his faction as the real NCP.
According to the Election Commission, the 'test of legislative majority' helped the Ajit Pawar-led faction to clinch the NCP symbol of 'Wall Clock'.
"The test of majority in the legislative wing found favour in this circumstance of the case, where both groups have found to be working outside the party constitution and the organisational elections," EC observed.
The apex poll authority reportedly made a concession to the Sharad Pawar-led group by allowing it a "one-time option" to claim a name for its political outfit and provide three preferences by Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls in the state.
Ajit Pawar had walked away with a majority of NCP MLAs in July last year and supported the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Maharashtra.
Following the decision by the apex poll body, visuals of joyous celebrations surfaced on social media where the supporters of Ajit Pawar were seen bursting crackers and waving flags carrying NCP's wall clock symbol outside his office in Mumbai.
