The Hindu : EC reserves verdict on NCP dispute

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 14, 2004

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National

EC reserves verdict on NCP dispute

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, FEB. 13. The Election Commission today reserved its verdict on the dispute between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) over the party flag and symbol following a split last month.

The full Commission presided by the Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, gave time till Thursday to the Sangma faction to file additional documents in support of its claim.

Praful Patel of the NCP (Pawar) faction told presspersons that the Commission said that there would be no more hearing and would pronounce its order later.

At the hearing, the Pawar faction said there was "not a whisper of foreign born" in the party constitution, while the Sangma group contended that it be allotted the party flag and the "clock" symbol as it was the true adherent to the party ideology that called for opposition to any naturalised citizen occupying high office.

"Ideology is the foundation of the NCP and this cutting edge resulted in parting company with the Congress," said Parag Tripathi, senior lawyer representing the Sangma faction.

Appearing for the Pawar group, senior counsel Ashok Desai said that ideology played a smaller role since the party was formed on the issue of secularism.

The Pawar group claims the "overwhelming" support of MPs, MLAs and office-bearers of the NCP. It has submitted to the poll panel the affidavits of seven out of eight Lok Sabha MPs, two out of three Rajya Sabha members and all 57 MLAs and 18 MLCs in Maharashtra in support of its claim.

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