The Lok Sabha Secretariat has formally corrected its previous office allotment, officially designating a room within the Parliament House complex to the Sharadchandra Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), while excluding the Ajit Pawar faction. The Sharadchandra Pawar group holds eight Lok Sabha seats compared to just one for the Ajit Pawar faction.
An office memorandum released on September 12 indicates the revision regarding office accommodations for parliamentary parties. The statement clarifies that the name entry for the NCP has been updated to reflect "Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar."
This amendment follows a contentious order issued on September 11, which had allocated offices to a variety of smaller parties, including the NCP. The original directive raised eyebrows, especially given the larger representation of the Sharad Pawar faction.
Supriya Sule emphasized the ongoing confusion, stating, “The Lok Sabha Secretariat had to issue a corrigendum recognizing our rightful designation. Sharad Pawar is the founder and president of the NCP, and the party identity has been unjustly claimed.” She reiterated the group’s commitment to rectify this situation through legal channels.
Praful Patel noted that it is standard procedure for office allocations to favor the party with the most MPs, thereby confirming the office assignment to the Sharad Pawar faction. Brijmohan Srivastava, spokesperson for the NCP, also pointed out that an application for office accommodation had been submitted to the Secretariat some time ago.
This correction by the Lok Sabha Secretariat underscores the political complexities facing the NCP and the ongoing power struggle within the party.
Published – September 21, 2024 10:32 pm IST
