New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party to use the name ‘NCP–SCP’ and the symbol of a ‘man blowing turrah’ for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The court directed the Election Commission of India to officially lock the ‘man blowing turrah’ as the poll symbol of the Sharad Pawar faction.
The apex court also restrained the Ajit Pawar faction from using the name or photograph of NCP founder Sharad Pawar in any election campaign materials.
The court further directed the Ajit Pawar group to issue a public notice that its use of the ‘clock’ symbol is subject to final outcome of the appeal pending before the top court. Until then, such a declaration should accompany all advertisements, whether in print or electronic media, the court said.
Last week, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan pulled up the Ajit Pawar camp over the alleged use of Sharad Pawar’s name and pictures for campaigning.
“You are a different political party now. You have chosen not to be with him. So why use his picture… Go with your own identity now,” the bench said.
“We need a categorical and unconditional undertaking that the name, pictures of Sharad Pawar will not be used,” it added.
The Election Commission of India in its February 6 order recognised the Ajit faction as the real NCP based on the “test of legislative majority”.
“Ajit Pawar faction enjoyed majority support of legislators. (The) commission holds that Ajit Pawar is the Nationalist Congress Party and is entitled to use its name and reserved symbol of ‘clock’,” the ECI order said.
Senior Pawar approached the Supreme Court against the ECI order questioning the basis on which the three election commissioners arrived at their conclusion the Ajit Pawar-led faction should inherit the party’s original name and the party symbol.
