SC warns Ajit Pawar faction of contempt of court in election symbol case
This story was originally published at 20:34 IST on 24 October 2024
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NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court on Thursday warned Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party of contempt of court if the party doesn't follow the order regarding the publication of a disclaimer on its use of the 'clock' election symbol. The court had earlier asked the Ajit Pawar faction to issue public notices in Marathi, Hindi, and English that its right to use the clock symbol was subject to the outcome of the case.
"If we feel that a deliberate attempt is being made to violate our order, we can initiate suo motu contempt proceedings," said the bench of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan. The warning came after Sharad Pawar, the leader of the other faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, alleged violation of conditions by Ajit Pawar group by not using disclaimers on election posters and banners. Sharad Pawar said the action had created large-scale confusion among the voters during the Lok Sabha elections.
The top court on Thursday also issued a notice to Ajit Pawar and others on Sharad Pawar's application seeking to restrain the former's group from using the clock symbol in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections on Nov. 20. It will hear the case on Nov. 6.
The Election Commission on Feb. 6 recognised the faction led by Ajit Pawar as the "real" NCP on the basis of "majority in the legislative wing of the party" and awarded it both the party name and symbol. The split in the NCP took place in July 2023, when Ajit Pawar, along with 40 of the party's 54 members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition by Sharad Pawar challenging the Election Commission's decision to recognise the Ajit Pawar faction as the "real" NCP.
On Mar. 19, the top court allowed the Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party to use the name Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar in the General Elections and assembly election in Maharashtra. The court said the party would be able to use the 'man blowing turah (trumpet)' election symbol in Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections, and asked the Election Commission of India not to grant the symbol to any other party or independent candidate. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Saji George Titus
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