Sharad Pawar is known to have weathered several political storms. Asked about losing his party symbol to the Ajit Pawar faction amid a bitter power struggle between the two, Pawar would nonchalantly reply that before the formation of NCP, he had fought polls on different symbols.
While some may have predicted the Maharashtra party’s fate, things came to a head when the Election Commission on Tuesday decided to give the symbol and party name to the Ajit Pawar-led faction — in what seemed like a repeat telecast of the Shiv Sena case in which Eknath Shinde was awarded the party name and symbol.
Recognising the Sr Pawar-led faction as a separate group, the EC has given them a deadline of 4pm on February 7 to decide the name and symbol for the upcoming elections or be recognised as an independent party.
Sharad Pawar’s camp is all set to approach the Supreme Court now against the order of the Election Commission.
The EC’s decision, just ahead of the elections, is definitely a shot in the arm for Ajit Pawar and will help his faction as people often vote based on party symbols and not individual leaders.
“Pawar Saheb is the brand, Sharad Pawar means the party and Sharad Pawar means future. But it is very shocking to see that the leader who formed this party 25 years ago, raised leaders like us and entrusted us with power and post has to see this day. But we will fight this battle in court,” said Jayant Patil, senior leader of the Sharad Pawar faction. Meanwhile, reacting to the decision, Ajit Pawar posted on X: “We accept the decision of Election Commission.”
Interestingly, the Shiv Sena, after its formation and before getting recognition and a fixed party symbol from the Election Commission, had also fought elections on different symbols such as a railway engine and a torch.
However, from the beginning, the roaring tiger symbol was always associated with the party and helped the masses identify them. Unfortunately, Sharad Pawar has no such symbol apart from the wall clock which now has been given to Ajit Pawar along with the party name.
On July 2, 2023, Ajit Pawar along with his 40 supporters decided to join the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti Govt. At present, he has the support of two Lok Sabha MPs and one Rajya Sabha MP along with 41 MLAs. Sharad Pawar has the support of two Lok Sabha MPs and three Rajya Sabha MPs along with 14 MLAs.
According to sources, after the decision of the Shiv Sena party on the same issue, Sharad Pawar faction had anticipated that being in the opposition, the decision would not come in their favour. Hence, the party leadership had already selected a few options which will be conveyed to the EC after getting the nod from the senior brass.
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