Sharad Pawar's Party Assigned New Name By Election Commission

Sharad Pawar's camp will move the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision, senior leader Jayant Patil has said.

Veteran politician Sharad Pawar's party has a new name - the Nationalist Congress Party Sharadchandra Pawar - the Election Commission said Wednesday, a day after it ruled the faction led by his nephew, Ajit Pawar, is the 'real' NCP and will be allotted its name and symbol (a clock).

The poll body has yet to allot a symbol for the NCP Sharadchandra Pawar; sources told NDTV the choice is between the rising sun (a variation is used by Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), a pair of glasses (a variation is with the Indian National Lok Dal), and a banyan tree.

On Tuesday the Election Commission said the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar - who broke from his uncle's side in July to align with the BJP and be sworn in as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister - could retain use of the party name and symbol since he had more MLAs in the state Assembly.