The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP seeking its response to a petition filed by the Sharad Pawar faction of NCP over the use of the "clock" symbol for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election. The top court asked the Ajit Pawar faction to file a fresh undertaking that it has not violated or wouldn't violate in future, the top court's previous directions on the use of the symbol.
The top court today warned of a comtempt case if it found that its previous orders were violated and said that it expects both the parties to comply with its orders.
The Supreme Court on March 19 had issued a slew of directions in the petition moved by Sharad Pawar against the Election Commission order granting the clock symbol and party name National Congress Party (NCP) to the NCP faction led by Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
The top court had directed the NCP faction led by Ajit Pawar to give the undertaking in context of other states and not just Maharashtra, that they will not use Sharad Pawar's name in posters. Earlier, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and K.V. Viswanathan heard the case and asked the Ajit Pawar faction to give an unconditional undertaking that it will stop its members from using Sharad Pawar's photo. The bench told Ajit Pawar faction that now that you are two separate entities, go only with your own identity.
The court also asked Ajit Pawar faction of NCP to issue public notice in newspapers in Hindi, Marathi and English, notifying that the allocation of clock symbol is subjudice before this court and they have only been permitted to use the symbol subject to this court's final order.
The court had further asked the Election Commission of Maharashtra to recognise the symbol of 'man blowing a trumpet' and party name NCP-Sharad Chandra Pawar for the purpose of Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.