EC allots party name to Sharad Pawar faction of NCP

New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) The Election Commission on Wednesday allotted 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the group led by Sharad Pawar.

The order by the poll authority came a day after it gave the Nationalist Congress Party name and the "clock" election symbol to the group led by Ajit Pawar, who had walked away with a majority NCP MLAs in the Maharashtra assembly in July last year.

The Commission had asked the Sharad Pawar group to suggest three names of which one could be allotted in view of the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

Accordingly, the Sharad Pawar group has suggested the names -- Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, Nationalist Congress Party -- Sharadrao Pawar and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Pawar -- to the Commission.

The faction had also sought 'banyan tree' as the election symbol for itself.

The Commission conveyed to Sharad Pawar that it has "acceded to your first preference, i.e. 'Nationalist Congress PArty -- Sharadchandra Pawar' as the name of your group/faction as a onetime option for the purposes of forthcoming election to 6 seats in the Rajya Sabha in Maharashtra..." PTI