SC to consider listing Sharad Pawar's plea against ??EC decision on 'real' NCP

New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday said that it will consider urgent listing of the plea filed by Sharad Pawar challenging the decision of Election Commission of India (ECI) which had recognised the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the 'real' Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and allotted it the party's 'clock' symbol.

A bench presided over by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud agreed to list the matter at the earliest after senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sharad Pawar, sought directions for urgent listing of the plea on February 19.

Singhvi said that a strange situation would arise if Sharad Pawar faction is subjected to party whip in the Assembly session commencing this weekend. “Our case is worse than Uddhav Thackeray as we have not been allotted any alternate poll symbol,” he explained to the apex court.

The plea arraying Ajit Pawar as respondent was filed by Sharad Pawar on February 12 through advocate Abhishek Jebaraj

The Ajit Pawar side has already filed a caveat last week, saying that it should be heard, before the top court proceeds to pass any order.

A caveat serves as a notice submitted to an appellate court by a litigant who wishes to be heard in case any orders are issued regarding an opponent's appeal that challenges the decision made by the lower judicial or quasi-judicial body.

Delivering the verdict on the disqualification petitions filed by both rival NCP factions after the party split in June 2023, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday ruled that the faction led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar is the 'real’ NCP.

The NCP split in July last year, with a faction led by Ajit Pawar rebelling against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar to join the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. After that, both sides laid claim to the party name and symbol.