New Delhi: Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) now can use ‘man blowing turha’ symbol for Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections as allowed by the the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The apex court has asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reserve the ‘man blowing turha’ symbol exclusively for the Sharad Pawar faction, known as ‘Nationalist Congress Party – Sharad Chandra Pawar’, and not to allow it to any other party or candidate.
For the Ajit Pawar faction, the Supreme Court has ordered Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s faction to issue a public notice in English, Marathi, Hindi, stating that the ‘clock’ symbol allotted to it is sub judice and its use is subject to adjudication.
On February 6, the Sharad Pawar group filed a plea in the Supreme Court, challenging the decision of the Election Commission to recognise Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP. Later on February 19, the apex court said that the EC’s order allotting “Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Chandra Pawar” as the party name for the Sharad Pawar faction will continue till further orders.
The Supreme Court has sought a response from the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in relation to a plea filed by Sharad Pawar.