Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Wednesday asserted that the party won't allow anybody to snatch its name and symbol even as at least 35 of the 53 MLAs attended a meeting called by rival faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar.
“The party symbol is with us, it is not going anywhere. The people and party workers who brought us to power are with us," Pawar said, addressing media person after a meeting of his supporting MLAs in Mumbai. According to reports, 15 MLAs attended the meeting.
Raising objections to the rival group using his photograph at their meetings, Pawar said those using his image are aware that they have nothing else to show off.
“We weren't taken into confidence by the MLAs who decided to split. Ajit Pawar faction has not followed any procedure,” he said.
Recalling his connect with the masses when he set up NCP in 1999, Pawar said “today we may not be in power, but we are in people's hearts”.
Meanwhile, the factional feud reached the doorstep of the Election Commission with the group led by Ajit Pawar filing over 40 affidavits of MLAs and MPs in his support.
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, PTI reported quoting EC sources.
The commission is likely to process applications in the coming days and ask both the sides to exchange the respective documents submitted before it.
The NCP, founded by Pawar in 1999, suffered a vertical split on Sunday after Ajit, along with his supporting legislators, joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. Ajit took oath as the deputy chief minister while eight of his loyal MLAs were also inducted as ministers in the Eknath Shinde government.
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.