In a significant development, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar held a meeting with the Congress national president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi. Moreover, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also marked his presence at the meeting on Friday. The meeting was held at Kharge’s residence in the national capital. According to sources, the three leaders discussed the current political situation and the road ahead for the alliance, which is looking to take on the BJP in the upcoming assembly and general elections.

They also chalked out plans for the next meeting of the INDIA bloc, the sources added.

ECI to hear pleas today

The meeting was held ahead of a significant event as the Election Commission of India (ECI) will hear the pleas by the Sharad Pawar faction and Ajit Pawar-led faction of NCP today over claims on the party name and symbol. Earlier in July, Ajit Pawar approached the Election Commission staking claim to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the party symbol amid a feud between the two factions.

Later, the poll panel wrote to both factions of the party acknowledging the split and also directed both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar to share documents, submitted to the polling body, with each other. Today is the first hearing of the case before ECI.

What did the petition claim? 

The Commission in July also issued a show-cause notice to the NCP group led by Sharad Pawar following a petition filed by the Ajit Pawar faction. The petition claimed that Ajit Pawar should be declared NCP president and should be allotted the party’s symbol as per the provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

(with inputs from agencies) 

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