New Delhi: Before the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra next month, the Supreme Court granted relief to the Ajit Pawar faction on Thursday.
The court ruled that Ajit faction’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) can use the ‘clock’ symbol in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, but they must include a statement on their election banners and posters indicating that it is a matter of dispute pending in the court.
The court was addressing the petition of the Sharad faction, which claimed that the Ajit faction was not complying with the court’s order and should be prohibited from using the ‘clock’ symbol in the assembly elections. The Sharad faction also requested that the Ajit faction be directed to apply for a new symbol.
The bench of Justice Suryakant, Justice Dipankar Dutta, and Justice Ujjwal Bhuiyan instructed Ajit Pawar’s lawyer that the Ajit faction should file a new affidavit. They also warned that if the order was violated, the court would initiate a contempt case. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for November 6.
Justice Suryakant told Ajit Pawar’s lawyer, Balveer Singh, “Once we have issued the direction, it has to be followed. You should file a reply and provide a new affidavit stating that you have not violated in the past and will not violate in the future. We hope that both parties will follow our instructions. Do not create an embarrassing situation for yourself.”
Ajit Pawar’s supporters celebrated at the NCP office in Mumbai after the Election Commission’s decision on February 6. On that day, the Election Commission recognized the Ajit Pawar faction as the legitimate NCP. The commission also asked Sharad Pawar to submit three names for the new political party by 4 pm on February 7.
This decision came after 10 hearings over 6 months. The commission stated that the majority of the MLAs supported the Ajit faction, leading to their recognition as the authentic NCP with the election symbol. In response, the party’s founder, Sharad Pawar, filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court accepted Sharad Pawar’s petition for an urgent hearing on February 16.