EC has stabbed democracy in the back: Raut on poll body's order on NCP

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged that the Election Commission has stabbed democracy in the back through its decision to recognise Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s faction as the real NCP.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Raut said history has not seen injustice of the kind that happened with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.

He said the Shiv Sena and the NCP were weakened because these are the only two parties that protected the Marathi ”asmita” (identity) and raised voice against injustice to Maharashtra.

”The Election Commission has stabbed democracy in the back,” Raut said.

”Now to murder democracy, the matter has been given to (Maharashtra assembly speaker) Rahul Narwekar,” he added referring to the on-going disqualification proceedings against NCP MLAs filed by the two rival factions.

Raut asserted that the real Shiv Sena will be where the Thackerays are and the same is the case with the real NCP where Sharad Pawar is.

He also dared Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to form their own respective parties and face the people.

In a major setback to Sharad Pawar, the EC on Tuesday announced that Ajit Pawar faction is the real NCP. In the order, the poll panel allotted the NCP symbol ‘clock’ to the group led by Ajit Pawar.