Founded by Sharad Pawar, the NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and the legislators supporting him joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. (PTI File)
The top court also allowed the NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction to use the ‘clock’ symbol with a declaration till the matter is sub-judice
The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued several directions in the petition moved by Sharad Pawar against the Election Commission of India (ECI) order granting the clock symbol to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The court allowed the party’s Sharad Pawar bloc to use the ‘man blowing turha’ symbol for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
The apex court also asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reserve the ‘man blowing turha’ symbol for the Sharad Pawar faction ‘Nationalist Congress Party – Sharad Chandra Pawar’, adding that the symbol should not be allotted to any other party or candidate.
The court has also directed the ECI to recognise the ‘Nationalist Congress Party -Sharad Chandra Pawar’ name for NCP’s Sharad Pawar bloc.
The top court also allowed the NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction to use the ‘clock’ symbol with a declaration till the matter is sub-judice.
However, the court has directed the NCP’s Ajit Pawar faction to issue a public notice saying “NCP’s ‘clock’ symbol is sub-judice and its use is subject to adjudication” in English, Hindi, Marathi media and to mention it in all its campaign ads.
The ECI had earlier recognised the Ajit Pawar group as the ‘real NCP’.
(With PTI inputs)
