09 September,2023 04:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sharad Pawar. File Pic
The Sharad Pawar-led faction of the NCP on Saturday said that it has told the Election Commission that there was no dispute in the party, except that a few mischievous individuals have defected from the organisation for their personal ambitions, a reference to the rebel group headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
In a statement, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by the former Union minister said the Election Commission (EC) had sought its response to a petition filed by Ajit Pawar, and the party submitted its "preliminary response" to the poll panel on September 7.
"We have established the recurring contradictory stands of Ajit Pawar and how he has, without any legal or material basis, made a claim before the Election Commission," the Sharad Pawar faction said.
"We have communicated to the Election Commission that there exists no dispute within the party and that except for a few mischievous individuals, who for their personal ambitions, have defected from the party," it said.
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It further stressed that the organisation remains intact and overwhelmingly united behind party president Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led government in July this year, leading to a in a split in the party. Ajit Pawar later staked claim to the NCP.
Meanwhile, The Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) Sharad Pawar faction has also reportedly told the Election Commission of India that the claims made by the Ajit Pawar faction are baseless and the rebel leader and his ilk do not hold any legal ground to call themselves a legitimate party headed by a person other than its founder and national president, Sharad Pawar.
In its response to Ajit's claim that his is the legitimate party that he heads as the national president, Sharad's faction has reminded the ECI of disqualification pleas it had filed against 40 MLAs, including ministers, who sided with the deputy chief minister. It said the affidavits filed by those facing disqualification cannot hold any ground and that the rebels are liable for losing their law making rights. Ajit's faction had filed its plea coinciding with their switch in July. "The plea was filed to pre-emptively avoid inevitable disqualification (of the rebel leaders)", the response said.
(with PTI inputs)
