New Delhi: Veteran politician Sharad Pawar on Wednesday evening submitted a list of three names - to identify his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party - to the Election Commission, as directed after he lost control of the party he has led since it was founded in 1999. Mr Pawar was told this week the faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar, who led the rebellion that split the party, is the 'real' NCP.
Sources told NDTV the names are Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Chandra Pawar, and Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Rao Pawar.
Mr Pawar has also suggested symbols to identify his party on EVMs, or electronic voting machines. These are the rising sun (a variation of which is allotted to Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and a banyan tree. The NCP's original symbol - now with Ajit Pawar - is a clock.
READ | Ajit Pawar's Faction Named Real NCP In Setback For Sharad Pawar
Sources said the 84-year-old Sharad Pawar held several meetings with lawyers and party leaders to come up with a name. The party, sources said, is keen on keeping either 'Nationalist' or Mr Pawar's name front-and-centre, to counter a potential bleeding of votes in centre and state elections.
A challenge, party leaders have admitted, is spreading awareness about any new name so close to an election since voters, particularly in rural areas, will identify the clock image with Sharad Pawar.
Other names considered were Sharad Pawar Congress and Sharad Pawar Swabhimani Paksh.
READ | 'Rising Sun', 'Glasses' Probables As Sharad Pawar Looks For New Poll Symbol
On Tuesday the Election Commission awarded the party name and symbol to Ajit Pawar, arguing his group is the 'real' Nationalist Congress Party because it has more MLAs in the state Assembly.
The NCP has 53 MLAs and only 12 of them have sided with Sharad Pawar.
Sharad Pawar was given till 4 pm today to come up with an alternative name.
The poll body's decision - which played out exactly as the Sena vs Sena fight, in which the faction led by Eknath Shinde (made Chief Minister after breaking the Shiv Sena and allying with the BJP) was recognised as the 'real Sena' - has been fiercely criticised by lawmakers loyal to Sharad Pawar.
READ | How Sharad Pawar Is Planning Comeback After Huge Blow
"The whole world knows who founded the NCP... So what the Election Commission did despite that is the murder of democracy by the election commission," Anil Desmukh, a former Minister, said.
Sharad Pawar's camp will move the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision, senior leader Jayant Patil has said. "It is our innocent expectation the court will stay the decision..."
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