Pawar vs Pawar: NCP factional war reaches Election Commission

The factional war of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday reached doorstep of the Election Commission with the Ajit Pawar faction filing over 40 affidavits of MLAs and MPs in his support.

Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar camp has filed a caveat with the poll authority urging it to hear them first before passing any directive in connection with the factional fight, reported PTI, citing Election Commission sources.

The Election Commission is likely to process applications in the coming days and ask both the sides to exchange the respective documents submitted before it.


Amidst the on-going war between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, 35 of 53 Nationalist Congress Party MLAs and five of the eight MLCs marked their presence at the party meeting held by Maharashtra's new deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai.

During the meeting, Ajit Pawar said, "I want to become Maharashtra chief minister to implement certain plans I have for people''s welfare."

The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split on Sunday with Ajit Pawar, claiming support of over 40 MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra.

Nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn-in as ministers in the Maharashtra government at a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday.

Ajit Pawar, with senior party leaders Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil by his side, asserted to be the real NCP.

Sharad Pawar also asserted to be the real NCP, and expelled Patel and Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare from the party.

It had also written to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar seeking to disqualify the nine MLAs who were sworn-in as ministers on Sunday.

(With inputs from PTI)