The Election Commission (EC) has granted the Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) permission to accept voluntary contributions from the public, meeting a key demand from the party as they prepare for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. This decision is interim and subject to the final outcome of the Supreme Court case concerning last year’s NCP split.
An eight-member NCP-SP delegation, led by working president Supriya Sule, met with the EC on Monday to discuss their requests. The party has also petitioned for their reserved symbol, ‘man blowing turha,’ to be made more prominent, arguing that its complexity makes it less recognizable compared to simpler symbols like the ‘hand’ or ‘lotus.’ Additionally, NCP-SP has requested that the symbol not be allocated to any other candidate or party.
The EC has agreed to favorably consider these requests. NCP-SP had previously written to the poll panel on March 27 and April 4, 2024, asking for official recognition to accept public contributions under Section 29B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
On Monday, the EC authorized NCP-SP to accept voluntary contributions from individuals and companies (excluding government companies) on an interim basis. The party must provide the EC with details including the location of its head office, communication address, local units, senior office bearers, numerical strength of members, elected representatives, and a copy of its memorandum of association. Any changes to this information must be promptly reported to the EC.
NCP-SP is also required to file a contribution report, in line with Sections 29B and 29C of the R P Act, declaring receipts exceeding Rs 20,000 in a financial year, and include the party’s PAN number.
The EC’s approval for NCP-SP to accept public contributions, coupled with its strong performance in recent general elections, is expected to significantly boost the party’s funding as they approach the Maharashtra assembly elections, likely to be held in October alongside polls in Haryana and Jharkhand.
In its final order dated February 6, 2024, the EC recognized the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the real NCP and awarded it the reserved poll symbol ‘clock.’ However, the Sharad Pawar group was allowed to adopt a new name, NCP-SP, for the imminent Rajya Sabha polls in Maharashtra. Following an interim Supreme Court order, NCP-SP continues to use this name and was assigned the symbol ‘man blowing turha’ on February 22.
The EC provisionally recognized NCP-SP on March 23, reserving its symbol for the general election to the Lok Sabha and four state assemblies.
