MUMBAI: Questioning the basis for a petition by the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP urging the EC to allot the partys name and symbol to it, senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is counsel for Sharad Pawar, on Friday said the demand had no legal validity as there was no pre-existing dispute in the party.
When there is no dispute between the Sharad Pawar faction and the rival Ajit Pawar faction, how can the latter approach the EC and stake claim to the party name and symbol?, Singhvi said told mediapersons after the hearing before the EC in Delhi.Elaborating his contention, Singhvi said if one looks at the two and a half decades of the partys history, there has never been a dispute; no objection was ever raised over the election of Sharad Pawar as president.
He was unanimously elected NCP president and all documents pertaining to his election and convening of national council meetings were signed by Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel, said Singhvi.He said a dispute cannot be created overnight; in the present case, while it was a smooth affair from 1999 to June 30, 2023, a dispute surfaced on June 30 when the Ajit Pawar faction moved the EC, staking claim on the symbol and name.
We have submitted all relevant documents to the EC to establish our contention, Singhvi said.
The hearing has been adjourned to November 29.