The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to ensure that the disclaimers stating that the allocation of the ‘clock’ symbol to it is sub-judice, are published more prominently in its ongoing election campaign related advertisements.
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice K V Viswanathan also cautioned the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party not to use the NCP ‘clock’ symbol anywhere and to use the ‘man blowing turha’ symbol allotted to it for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The bench said the Sharad Pawar faction, its party office bearers, workers and supporters shall only use the name ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Candra Pawar’ and party symbol “man blowing turha” in the ongoing elections.
“In other words, the applicant-petitioner (Sharad Pawar) or supporters shall not use the symbol clock,” said the bench while saying that its March 19, 2024, the order shall be abided by both the factions.
“It is suffice to clarify and reiterate that the petitioner (Sharad Pawar) and party office bearers and workers supporters shall abide by directions in para 3 in terms thereof. The respondents (Ajit Pawar faction), the office bearers of political party, the workers are obligated to meticulously follow directions contained in the order,” the bench recorded in its order.
The top court order came following an assurance to the court by the senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ajit Pawar group, that the office-bearers, candidates, and supporters of the party shall be sensitised to ensure that there is no defiance of the court’s order and to issue public notices that the allocation of the ‘clock’ symbol is sub-judice, with more prominent space in the newspapers.
In the course of the hearing today, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sharad Pawar group, placed before the court certain advertisements and posters published by the Ajit Pawar group, in print, electronic and social media, and claimed that none of them carried the disclaimer that the use ‘clock’ symbol was sub-judice.
Rohatgi alleged that the Sharad Pawar group was still using the ‘clock’ symbol.
While directed the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP to carry a disclaimer in its every advertisement that the use of ‘clock’ symbol by them is sub-judice before the top court and is subject to the outcome of the case, the top court by its March 19 order had also directed that the undertaking given by the Ajit Pawar faction to not to use the name and pictures of Sharad Pawar in election posters will apply not just to Maharashtra but also to other States.
Earlier on March 14, the Supreme Court had asked the Ajit Pawar faction to stick to its identity and questioned it as to why it was using veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s name and photo during its political campaigns. The court had asked the Ajit Pawar group to give an undertaking that they will not directly or indirectly use the name of Sharad Pawar.
“You are a different political party now. You have chosen not to be with him. Now stick to this. Why use his (Sharad Pawar) picture… Go with your own identity now…”, the bench had told the Ajit Pawar faction.
The entire NCP feud is rooted in the Election Commission of India recognising Ajit Pawar faction representing the real Nationalist Congress Party and allotting it the NCP’s reserve symbol ‘clock’.
Earlier on February 19, 2024, the Supreme Court by an interim order said that the veteran leader Sharad Pawar will 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 – Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) – that was given to him by the Election Commission limited to the then ongoing biennial election to Rajya Sanha that concluded on February 27, 2024.
However, on March 19, the Supreme Court had directed 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 of the party for Lok Sabha and State assembly elections across the country.
Pawar approached the Supreme Court challenging the ECI’s February 6, 2024, decision recognising Ajit Pawar fiction as a ‘real’ NCP and allotting it party’s election symbol alarm ‘Clock’.