Who Gets NCP Name, Symbol? Election Panel Ex-Chief On How It Is Decided

"The Election Commission doesn't decide which is the bigger or smaller faction. It decides which is 'the party'. The majority part becomes the party," SY Quarishi told NDTV.

The name and election symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party may well go to the Ajit Pawar faction, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi indicated today. In an exclusive interview to NDTV, he said the Commission can only take a call on the poll name and symbol, not on disqualification. And this, he said, is decided on the basis of simple majority, not two-thirds majority.  

"The Election Commission doesn't decide which is the bigger or smaller faction. It decides which is 'the party'. The majority part becomes the party," Mr Quraishi told NDTV.

"The original party with two-thirds majority can merge with another party. A breakaway faction cannot. A breakaway faction is a defector. But that defection is not decided by the EC. That is decided by the Speaker," he added.