New Delhi, Mar 11: In a major reprieve for breakaway NCP leader PA Sangma, the Election Commission has allowed his faction to be registered as a new political party.
A communication from the Secretary to the Election Commission to this effect was conveyed to Sangma's group on Wednesday, the party's spokesman B Raina said in New Delhi on Thursday.

"We are completing the formalities for registration as a political party," he said adding that the Commission had agreed to Sangma's request.
Sources in the Poll Panel confirmed that Sangma had been allowed to register a new political party.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy two days ago, party general secretary Veena Nayyar had pointed out that the poll panel was "silent" on the political status of the party led by Sangma at a time when the election process had already begun.

It also urged the Commission to register their group as People's Nationalist Party with the budding rose symbol.

This has happened despite the Commission recognising the fact that the party led by Sangma has support of two MPS, eight MLAs and several working committee members, the letter said.
Sangma had earlier said that it would have been "better" if the Commission had given its order well before the announcement of the poll schedule as guidelines of the Commission do not allow registration of a new party after the announcement of the poll schedule. Bureau Report