Pawar vs Pawar: SC seeks Ajit Pawar's response in NCP faction dispute

Sharad Pawar's NCP faction was granted provisional use of the party name and clock symbol following Ajit Pawar's split from the party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from Ajit Pawar and 40 other MLAs in a plea filed by the Sharad Pawar faction challenging Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's decision to recognise the group led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the legitimate and "real" Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Maharashtra elections are expected to be held later this year with the current Assembly's tenure expiring in November. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra considered the plea's urgency due to the short remaining tenure. The bench agreed to hear the plea filed by Sharad Pawar faction members Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad after addressing a similar petition from the Uddhav Thackeray camp contesting the speaker's decision favouring Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's group.

"We will issue notice, all objections including on grounds of maintainability will be decided at final disposal. Liberty is granted to serve the other respondents with dasti' (a mode of serving notices), the CJI said.

Pawar vs Pawar: Background on NCP split

Ajit Pawar split from his uncle Sharad Pawar’s NCP last year to join the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Maharashtra, with Pawar becoming deputy chief minister under Eknath Shinde. This created significant political shifts as both parties prepared to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from opposite sides.

Following the split, Sharad Pawar’s faction dismissed several members, including Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, and filed disqualification petitions against Ajit Pawar and eight other members. However, in February, Speaker Rahul Narwekar declared the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the real NCP, citing an "overwhelming legislative majority" of 41 out of 53 MLAs when the NCP split in July 2023. Narwekar  also dismissed disqualification pleas made by Sharad Pawar's faction.

SC allows provisional use of NCP name and logo

Ajit Pawar, recognised as the legitimate NCP leader, was granted the party’s ‘clock’ symbol due to majority support. However, the Supreme Court allowed the Sharad Pawar faction provisional use of the NCP name and symbol for the 2024 general elections. Ajit Pawar’s faction was required to declare that their claim on the party name and symbol was "pending" final approval.

With the Lok Sabha elections concluded and Maharashtra Assembly elections on the horizon, it is pivotal for the Supreme Court to make a decision on the matter to ensure smooth campaigning ahead of the state polls.