The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission of India to recognise the Sharad Pawar faction of NCP as ‘Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) and ‘man blowing turha’ as its symbol for Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice K V Viswanathan further asked the poll panel to reserve the ‘man blowing turha’ symbol for the Sharad Pawar faction only and said it should not allot the symbol to any other party or candidate.

The bench also directed Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s faction to issue a public notice in English, Hindi, Marathi media and mention in all its campaign ads that the ‘Clock’ symbol allotted to it is subject to the outcome of the case pending before the top court in the wake of the challenge to the ECI order of recognising Ajit Pawar’s group as ‘real NCP’.

The NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar challenged the Election Commission’s order recognising NCP led by Ajit Pawar as real NCP and allowing it to use party symbol ‘Clock’.

The court, in its order, said, “The respondents (NCP-Ajit Pawar) are directed to issue a public notice in the newspapers in English, Marathi, Hindi editions notifying that the allocation of the ‘clock’ symbol is sub-judice and the respondents shall be permitted to use the same subject to the final outcome of the proceedings. Such a declaration shall be incorporated in every template, advertisement, audio or video clip issued on behalf of the respondent political party.”

The ‘man blowing turha’ symbol allotted to the NCP led by senior Pawar shall not be used in any manner by the Ajit Pawar group in the ensuing elections, said the bench.

It also directed that the undertaking given by the Ajit Pawar faction not to use the name and pictures of Sharad Pawar in election posters will apply not just to the State of Maharashtra but also to other states.

The Ajit Pawar faction today filed an undertaking in which it has undertaken to refrain from using the names and pictures of Sharad Pawar in campaign materials.

Last week, the top court had questioned the Ajit Pawar faction, which has been officially recognised as the NCP by the poll panel, as to why it is using veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s photo for campaigning.

It had also suggested Ajit Pawar group to file an undertaking that they will not directly or indirectly use the name of Sharad Pawar.

The Shaad Pawar group had filed an application saying Ajit Pawar faction was ‘misusing ‘ senior Pawar’s name and pictures to appeal voters.

Earlier on February 19, 2024, the Supreme Court by an interim order said that veteran leader Sharad Pawar would continue using the name of his party – Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) – beyond February 27 Rajya Sabha biennial election and will approach the Election Commission of India for the allotment of an election symbol that the poll panel will give him within a week of the veteran leader making such an application.

The top court allowed the founder of the Nationalist Congress Party to continue using the name of his party – the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) – that was given to him by the Election Commission limited to then ongoing biennial election to Rajya Sanha that concluded on February 27, 2024.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had resisted any extension of the poll panel’s February 7, 2025, order of the Election Commission permitting the use of name – Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) – limited to the then ongoing biennial election to Rajya Sanha that concluded on February 27, 2024.