The battle between the P.A. Sangma and Sharad Pawar groups over the NCP flag and clock symbols remained inconclusive today. The former sought time from the Election Commission to verify the affidavits submitted by the latter to prove majority support of the party workers and leaders. Today’s hearing of the NCP dispute took place before the full Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner T.S. Krishnamurthy. Even though the hearing spilled beyong lunch hour till 3.30 pm, the EC reserved its order for a later date. EC sources said the Sangma faction claimed that they needed time to verify the affidavits submitted by the Pawar group, which they felt, did not have the proper stamp of the notary. While the CEC gave the Sangma group time till February 19 to submit the documents supporting their claims ‘‘if they so wished’’, the Pawar group was given time till February 20. After the meeting got over, NCP spokesperson Praful Patel said there would be no more hearings before the EC gives its ruling. The NCP had split over Pawar’s decision to get into a national alliance with the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress. And that remained the focus of the argument today. The Sangma group contended that it should be allotted the party flag and symbol as it was ‘‘the true follower’’ of the party ideology which opposes any neutralised citizen from occupying a high office. ‘‘Ideology is the NCP’s foundation and this cutting edge resulted in parting company with the Congress,’’ Parag Tripathi, senior Supreme Court lawyer representing the Sangma faction told the poll panel. Disputing this, Pawar’s counsel and senior Supreme Court lawyer Ashok Desai said there was not a whisper on the foreign-born issue in the party’s constitution. Ideology, Desai countered, played a ‘‘smaller role’’ in the NCP’s constitution which was floated on the issue of secularism. However, EC sources said the dispute would be decided on the basis of support (of workers and leaders) each group enjoys. ‘‘In a democracy, it is the support of the majority group that decides the matter.’’
