NCP vs NCP: Supreme Court allows Ajit Pawar faction provisional use of 'clock' symbol [19.3.2024]

The Supreme Court issued an interim order on Tuesday regarding the ongoing dispute between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar factions within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The directive primarily addresses concerns surrounding the use of symbols and campaign materials by the Ajit Pawar faction, officially recognised by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as the NCP. The SC has allowed Ajit Pawar's group to provisionally use the "clock" symbol and directed the ECI to recognise Sharad Pawar's NCP faction.

The interim order outlines the following key points:

Provisional recognition: The Election Commission is directed to provisionally recognise the Nationalist Congress Party led by Sharad Chandra Pawar for the purpose of contesting upcoming Lok Sabha and state elections. The party is permitted to use the symbol of a man blowing a trumpet.

Declaration requirement: The Ajit Pawar faction is instructed to carry a declaration across English, Hindi, and Marathi media, as well as on all campaign advertisements, stating that the clock symbol allotted to them is subject to the outcome of the pending challenge regarding their legitimacy as the real NCP.


19 Mar 2024