Maharashtra assembly speaker declares Ajit Pawar’s faction as authenticatic NCP

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar defended his decision to recognize the faction led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar as the authentic NCP, asserting that no aspect of the ruling is “unconstitutional” or “arbitrary.”

Addressing the media a day after the decision, Narwekar emphasized the clarity of the decision, stating, “A copy of the decision has been provided to the parties. No stand in this decision is unconstitutional or arbitrary. The stand has been justified. Reasons for the same have been stated. So, I think there is no need to further analyze such a tenable and justified decision.”

However, the decision faced criticism from the UBT faction of the Shiv Sena, with leader Sanjay Raut describing it as a “comedy show.” Raut likened it to a humorous program, stating, “Rahul Narvekar has written a new episode of Hasy Jatra… It’s a caricature, it’s a blast of laughter.”

The Election Commission had previously allotted the Ajit Pawar-led faction the party name and symbol. Narwekar maintained that the assertion of vote share by Ajit Pawar is undisputed by the Sharad Pawar faction, and the matter of legislative majority is also uncontested.

The Speaker dismissed pleas from both factions to disqualify MLAs after a vertical split in the party in June 2023, ruling that it was not a defection from the NCP party. He clarified that the actions and statements made between June 30 and July 2 were considered intra-party dissent.

Previously, the Supreme Court had extended the deadline until February 15 for Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to issue the final order on the plea from the Sharad Pawar faction seeking disqualification of rebel MLAs led by Ajit Pawar. On February 6, the Election Commission, applying the test of majority in the legislative wing, recognized Ajit Pawar’s faction as the legitimate NCP and permitted the use of the ‘clock’ symbol for the party.