Setback for Sharad Pawar, SC rules NCP clock symbol stays with Ajit Pawar faction

In a setback to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Supreme Court ruled today that the Nationalist Congress Party's clock symbol stays with Ajit Pawar.

However, the apex court added that the Ajit Pawar faction has to "meticulously" follow its earlier order and add disclaimers in election advertisements that the court is yet to take a final decision in the matter.

The three-judge bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan also warned that if they feel that a "deliberate attempt is being made to violate our order", they will initiate suo motu contempt proceedings.

Also read: Maharashtra people eager for political change; will be reflected in poll outcome: Sharad Pawar

No disclaimers

The apex court was hearing a plea by Sharad Pawar faction which claimed that the Ajit Pawar-led group was not complying with the top court's earlier order.

Sharad Pawar had approached the court during the Lok Sabha elections complaining that the Ajit Pawar faction had flouted its earlier order and did not add any disclaimer in its election posters and banners. This was creating "large scale confusion" in the minds of voters during the parliamentary elections, he had alleged.

SC warns Ajit Pawar faction

Today, the bench issued a notice to Ajit Pawar's faction, directing that it should not create "an embarrassing situation" for itself.

The top court directed Ajit Pawar to file a fresh undertaking over its March 19 and April 24 directions to issue a public notice saying 'NCP's 'clock' symbol is sub-judice', was being meticulously complied with even during the process of the state assembly elections.

"Please file a fresh undertaking as well that you will not violate our directions present as well as till the end of elections. We expect both sides to comply our directions. Please don't create an embarrassing (situation) for you," Justice Kant said.

Also read: SC asks Ajit Pawar-led NCP for details of ads issued after clock symbol ruling

The NCP saga

In July last year, Ajit Pawar walked away with a majority of NCP MLAs and supported the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Eknath Shinde.

In February, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar responding to complaints made by the Sharad Pawar's faction maintained that the faction led by Ajit Pawar was the real NCP and the anti-defection law was not applicable here.

It was a matter of internal dissent and he had the numbers, he had said.

The Election Commission then allotted the NCP symbol 'clock' to the Ajit Pawar group and the Sharad Pawar faction was allowed to call itself the "Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar". The Sharad Pawar group could use the symbol of the "Man blowing Turha", it said.

Sharad Pawar, however, contended that it would confuse voters and approached the Supreme Court. The Election Commission's decision stands till further orders, ruled the apex court. But, they said that Sharad Pawar 's names and photographs cannot be used by the Ajit Pawar faction for political gains.