Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, July 5: With the submission of more than 40 affidavits from MLAs and MPs in support of Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factional conflict has reached the Election Commission.
According to sources in the Election Commission, the Sharad Pawar camp filed a caveat to the election authority, pleading with it to first hear them out before making any decisions regarding the factional fighting.
In the upcoming days, the Election Commission is likely to evaluate applications and ask both parties to exchange the relevant documentation that was presented to it.
Ajit Pawar, who claims the backing of over 40 MLAs and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra on Sunday, caused a rift in the NCP, which Sharad Pawar formed in 1999.
In a sudden cabinet expansion on Sunday, nine NCP MLAs, including Ajit Pawar, were sworn in as ministers in the Maharashtra government.
With senior party figures Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil on his side, Ajit Pawar claimed to represent the real NCP.
In addition, Sharad Pawar claimed to represent the real NCP and dismissed Patel and Lok Sabha member Sunil Tatkare from the organisation.
Additionally, it sent a letter to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar asking him to revoke the ministerial credentials of the nine MLAs who took office on Sunday.