NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on Ajit Pawar‘s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) asking it to “stand up on your legs” and not use Sharad Pawar‘s name and photos in the ongoing election campaign in Maharashtra for the upcoming assembly polls.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan questioned Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP on the use of founder Sharad Pawar’s name and told the party that they have to fight the elections based on their separate identity.
“You try to stand up on your legs, now that you have ideological difference with Sharad Pawar,” it said.
The bench asked Ajit Pawar to instruct the party members to not use Sharad Pawar’s photos and videos. The court added that voters are wise enough to see through any confusion, reported news agency ANI.
The Supreme Court had earlier, while allowing Ajit-Pawar-led NCP to use ‘clock’ symbol in upcoming Maharashtra elections‘, had asked the party to issue disclaimers in newspapers, including Marathi publications, clarifying that the symbol’s usage remains under judicial consideration.
Also read- Bulldozer justice: Executive can’t become judge, demolish house of accused, SC says
When senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sharad Pawar’s group, raised concerns about the Ajit Pawar faction’s non-compliance and continued reliance on the veteran leader’s reputation, the court responded pragmatically.
The bench expressed confidence in voters’ discernment, stating they can distinguish between Sharad and Ajit Pawar. The court advised both factions to focus on their respective electoral campaigns, emphasising that whilst court orders require strict adherence, the impact of campaign videos remains uncertain.
The hearing addressed an application from the Sharad Pawar group regarding alleged violations by the Ajit Pawar faction. On March 19, the court permitted Ajit Pawar’s group to use the ‘clock’ symbol with specific conditions, including public disclosure about the symbol’s disputed status in the upcoming elections.
The court had restricted the Ajit Pawar faction from using Sharad Pawar’s name and images in campaign materials. This followed the Election Commission’s recognition of Ajit Pawar’s group as the authentic NCP, based on legislative majority.
The Sharad Pawar faction received permission to use ‘Nationalist Congress Party-Sharad Chandra Pawar’ as their party name and the “man-blowing turha” symbol. The court maintained that the Election Commission’s February 7 order regarding the party name allocation would remain effective until further notice.