In A Big Win For Sharad Pawar Faction, SC Orders ECI To Recognise 'Trumpet' As NCP Symbol

In a big win for the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party faction, the Supreme Court has directed Election Commission of India and State Election Commission to recognise 'Trumpte' as the official symbol of the NCP-Sharad Pawar. The Supreme Court also ordered the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP to issue public notice saying NCP's origianl 'clock' symbol is sub-judice and its use is subject to adjudication. The top court also directed the Ajit Pawar faction to make declaration about 'clock' poll symbol being sub-judice in all poll-related advertisements.

The Supreme Court also directed the Election Commission to not allot 'man blowing turha/trumpet' symbol to others for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls whiler ordering the ECI to recognise 'man blowing turha' as symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar for polls.

With the apex court order, the Sharad Pawar bloc can now use party symbol 'man blowing turha' for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls. The top court also allowed the Sharad Pawar faction to use party name 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' for Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

The apex court had earlier directed that the Election Commission's order of February 7 allotting 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the Sharad Pawar faction will continue till further orders.

Earlier last week, the Supreme Court questioned the Ajit Pawar faction, which has been officially recognised as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) by the Election Commission of India, as to why it is using veteran leader Sharad Pawar's photos for campaigning. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan also asked the Ajit Pawar group to file an undertaking that they will not directly or indirectly use the name of Sharad Pawar. It further suggested that the Ajit Pawar group use a symbol other than the 'clock' for elections so that there won't be any confusion.