Sharad Pawar
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has granted permission to the Sharad Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to utilize the name ‘NCP–SCP’ and adopt the symbol of a ‘man blowing hurrah’ for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The court has instructed the Election Commission of India to officially designate the ‘man blowing hurrah’ as the electoral symbol for the Sharad Pawar faction.
Additionally, the apex court has prohibited the Ajit Pawar faction from employing the name or image of NCP founder Sharad Pawar in any election-related materials. The court has directed the Ajit Pawar group to issue a public notice stating that their use of the ‘clock’ symbol is subject to the final decision of the ongoing appeal before the Supreme Court. Until a verdict is reached, such a declaration must accompany all advertisements, whether in print or electronic media.
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Last week, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan rebuked the Ajit Pawar camp for allegedly utilizing Sharad Pawar’s name and images for campaign purposes. The bench emphasized that the Ajit Pawar faction is now a distinct political entity and questioned the rationale behind using Sharad Pawar’s imagery. The court demanded an unequivocal undertaking from the Ajit Pawar group that they will refrain from using Sharad Pawar’s name or pictures.
The Election Commission of India, in its order dated February 6, recognized the Ajit faction as the legitimate NCP, based on the “test of legislative majority.” The order stated that the Ajit Pawar faction enjoyed majority support from legislators and, therefore, is entitled to use the NCP’s name and the reserved symbol of the ‘clock.’
Senior Pawar approached the Supreme Court challenging the ECI order, questioning the basis on which the three election commissioners concluded that the Ajit Pawar-led faction should inherit the party’s original name and symbol.
