Election Commission Renames Sharad Pawar’s Party as per Strong Rule

Sharad Pawar’s party has been given a new name by the Election Commission for the forthcoming election to six seats in the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra. The poll body is yet to allot a symbol for the NCP Sharadchandra Pawar, with the choices being the rising sun, a pair of glasses, and a banyan tree. Out of the 53 MLAs in the NCP, only 12 have sided with Sharad Pawar.

He was given a deadline till 4 pm to come up with an alternative name and has been consulting with lawyers and party leaders. The party is considering names like ‘Nationalist’ or incorporating Mr. Pawar’s name to counter potential vote loss in the upcoming elections. Party leaders admit that spreading awareness about the new name, especially in rural areas, will be a challenge.

Other names like Sharad Pawar Congress and Sharad Pawar Swabhimani Paksh were also considered. Anil Desmukh, a former Minister, expressed disapproval of the Election Commission’s decision, calling it a “murder of democracy”. He hoped that the court would intervene and stay the decision.