Ajit Pawar's first reaction after EC says his faction is 'real NCP'

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said he humbly welcomes the Election Commission's decision that the faction led by him is the real Nationalist Congress Party.

'Election Commission has ruled in our favour after listening to the arguments of our lawyers. We welcome this humbly,' Pawar said.

The Election Commission’s ruling ended months of speculation over the factional fight between Ajit Pawar and party founder and his uncle Sharad Pawar.

The Commission also allotted the NCP symbol 'wall clock' to the group led by Ajit Pawar.

The decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of such a petition which included tests of aims and objectives of party constitution, test of party constitution and tests of majority both organisational and legislative, the commission said.

“The test of majority in the legislative wing found favour in this circumstance of the case, where both groups have found to be working outside the party constitution and the organisational elections," the poll authority observed.

With PTI inputs