Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Maharashtra speaker declares Ajit Pawar's faction as real NCP

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: In a significant development, Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar proclaimed the Ajit Pawar-led group as the authentic Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) during the emergence of two factions in July 2023. He dismissed disqualification petitions filed by both the Ajit and Sharad Pawar-led factions, asserting that challenging the decisions of party founder Sharad Pawar did not constitute defection but internal dissent.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Disqualification petitions rejected

Speaker Narwekar announced, "All the petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs are rejected," during the reading of the ruling at the legislature complex in Mumbai. The petitions for disqualification were lodged by rival factions following Ajit Pawar's alignment with the Shiv Sena-BJP government in Maharashtra and his subsequent appointment as deputy Chief Minister.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Internal dissent versus defection

Narwekar emphasized that questioning Sharad Pawar's decisions or dissenting against his directives amounted to internal dissent, not defection. He highlighted the misuse of the tenth schedule of the Constitution, which pertains to anti-defection provisions, in this context.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Upholding intraparty dissent

The Speaker underscored that party leadership cannot employ the tenth schedule to suppress the dissent of a significant number of members by threatening disqualification. The events within the NCP in July 2023 were deemed as intraparty dissent, according to Narwekar's ruling.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Ajit Pawar's faction majority

Narwekar noted that the Ajit Pawar faction possessed an "overwhelming" legislative majority during the party's split, thereby constituting the true "will of the NCP political party." This decision aligns with the Election Commission's recent determination recognizing Ajit Pawar's faction as the legitimate NCP.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Reactions to the ruling

Supriya Sule, MP of the NCP – Sharadchandra Pawar party, criticized the Speaker's decision, labeling it as a "copy-paste" of Narwekar's earlier ruling in the Shiv Sena disqualification case.

The ruling marks a significant milestone in Maharashtra's political landscape, potentially shaping the future dynamics within the NCP and the state government.