New Delhi, 13 Feb

Veteran leader Sharad Pawar has moved the Supreme Court challenging an Election Commission order recognising the party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar as the real Nationalist Congress Party.

The plea was filed by Pawar senior in his personal capacity through lawyer Abhishek Jebaraj on Monday evening.

Prior to him, the Ajit Pawar faction had filed a caveat through advocate Abhikalp Pratap Singh to ensure that no ex-parte order is passed in favour of the Sharad Pawar group if the latter moves the top court.

On 6 February, the Election Commission announced that the Ajit Pawar faction is the real NCP, in a major setback to party founder Sharad Pawar.

The poll panel also allotted the NCP symbol 'clock' to the group led by Ajit Pawar.

The decision followed the laid-out tests of maintainability of such a petition which included tests of aims and objectives of the party constitution, test of party constitution and tests of majority both organisational and legislative, the EC had said.