Minutes after the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday announced that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) name and its clock symbol would go to the Ajit Pawar-led group, the Sharad Pawar faction said the veteran leader would announce his outfit’s name and symbol on Wednesday. The group also said it would also approach the Supreme Court against the poll panel’s decision.

Sources in Pawar’s party said the new name was likely to retain the words “Nationalist” and “Congress”. The “rising sun”, “wheel”, and “tractor” were among the options for the party’s new symbol. The EC in its order asked the Pawar group to “claim a new name” and “provide three preferences” by Wednesday 4 pm since Rajya Sabha elections to six seats from Maharashtra are scheduled for February 27.

“The EC has asked us to decide a new name and the party for the coming Rajya Sabha elections. We will do it tomorrow (Wednesday),” said Lok Sabha MP from Baramati Supriya Sule, who is Sharad Pawar’s daughter.

In his six-decade political career, Pawar has contested elections on at least four different election symbols: a pair of bulls, charkha (spinning wheel), cow and calf, and hand and clock. Before founding the NCP, he was in parties such as the Congress, Congress (R), Congress (U), Congress (Socialist), and Congress (I).

As the Pawar group tries to get a new name and symbol, a battle in front of Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar awaits as the verdict has not yet been passed in the disqualification pleas against MLAs of both NCP groups. The hearing in the case concluded on January 31 and the judgment is expected by February 15.

“It is the victory of the invisible power. The man who founded the party has been facing defeat. But I do not find it strange. We are getting the order that was against the Shiv Sena. The same conspiracy was hatched against the Thackeray family. This is a conspiracy against Maharashtra. The decision is not at all shocking to us. Sharad Pawar raised this party from zero, we will raise it again,” Sule said, adding that the question of who the party belongs to would be settled in the Supreme Court.

Echoing Sule, the Sharad Pawar group’s state president Jayant Patil said, “The EC’s decision is shocking. We will be approaching the Supreme Court against the decision. The order proves that all constitutional organisations have lost their autonomy and the order prima facie is by merely simply putting forward some technical issues. We believe that the Supreme Court will do justice.”

Earlier, welcoming the EC order, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar said he humbly accepts the order. “The EC has accepted submissions made by our counsels and we thank the EC,” he said.