Supriya Sule says Marathi Parties Sena, NCP targeted

While the Ajit Pawar faction is celebrating the Election Commission's decision to allot the NCP 'clock' symbol and party name to the Ajit faction, the Sharad Pawar group said that it was "surprised" with the decision but expected it. The Sharad Pawar faction also said it will approach the Supreme Court against the EC order.

"The Election Commission has ruled in our favour after hearing the arguments of our lawyers, we are humbly accepting this decision,' 'wrote Ajit Pawar on 'X'.

Incidentally in the post on X, Ajit's designation is mentioned as the NCP national president. Although the Ajit Pawar leadership has consciously adopted a policy of not reacting too jubilantly, mid and lower rung party leaders have begun celebrating the EC ruling.


After the ruling, the Sharad Pawar camp tried to paint it as a conspiracy against the Marathi speaking community. "This is the first time in the history of the country that a man who created the party and built it has seen the party removed from him; I'm not surprised by this decision. This is a conspiracy against the Marathi people, as first the Shiv Sena which was also a Marathi party, was targeted and now us," said Supriya Sule, Lok Sabha MP and daughter of Sharad Pawar.

In what is being seen as a taunt on Ajit Pawar, Sule said that her father had always struggled in politics and built the party on his own and did not have backing of any uncle or any other relative. She, however, said that the party would be moving the SC against the decision.

The impact of the EC's decision would be felt in the Maharashtra parliamentary polls as the Sharad Pawar faction would have to begin afresh to fight the polls with a new name and symbol. Though there are other immediate challenges that the faction would have to face now.