Ajit Pawar to use clock symbol for polls, Sharad Pawar now on trumpet

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court today said the names and election symbols of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress party will be temporarily retained subject to the decision of the Election Commission and recommended that the status quo be maintained ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. However, the order is interim and the issue will be revisited after both parties respond to the court order. The order was issued while hearing questions raised by the party’s Sharad Pawar faction over the poll body’s decision.

The main complaint of Sharad Pawar’s faction – the use of clock symbols by Ajit Pawar’s faction in the Lok Sabha elections – remains unresolved.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan said Ajit Pawar’s faction will be able to use clock symbol but they will have to issue advertisements calling the matter Under review. The announcement must be included in all election-related audiovisual advertising and promotional materials such as banners and posters.

The court said Sharad Pawar’s faction can use the ‘Trumpet Blower’ symbol and the name of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar) and asked the Election Commission not to re-issue it to any other party .

The United National Congress Party (NCP), founded by Sharad Pawar, has the “clock” as its electoral symbol and last month the Election Commission awarded it to the Ajit Pawar faction along with the party name.

Sharad Pawar’s party questioned the decision, saying it gave Ajit Pawar’s party an extra edge in the election given the high recall of the poll symbol.

The judges also asked Ajit Pawar’s camp to submit its response to Sharad Pawar’s group’s plea against the Election Commission’s order recognizing the former as a bona fide NCP. Responses must be submitted within one month.