"Ready for every challenge...INDIA will win," says Kharge after meeting with Sharad Pawar

On the occasion, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting.

In this regard, Mallikarjun Kharge took to X (former Twitter) and said, "Today, along with Rahul Gandhi met NCP President Sharad Pawar to further raise the voice of the people of the country. We are ready for every challenge. India will join, INDIA will win."

After the meeting was concluded, Sharad Pawar also took to X (former Twitter) and said, "Paid a courtesy visit to INC President MP Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence. MP Rahul Gandhi, NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad and Gurdeep Sapal, INC CWC Member were also present for the meeting."

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India is hearing the pleas by the Sharad Pawar faction and Ajit Pawar-led faction of NCP today over claims on the party name and symbol. Ajit Pawar earlier in July approached the Election Commission staking claim to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the party symbol amid a feud between the two factions.

Later, the Election Commission wrote to both factions of the party acknowledging the split and also directed both Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar to share documents, submitted to the polling body, with each other.

Today is the first hearing of the case before ECI. The Commission in July also issued a show-cause notice to the NCP group led by Sharad Pawar following a petition filed by the Ajit Pawar faction. The petition claimed that Ajit Pawar should be declared NCP president and should be allotted the party's symbol as per the provisions of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. (ANI)