Maharashtra assembly elections: Give new poll symbol to Ajit Pawar-led NCP too, says Supriya Sule

Supriya Sule. File Pic

NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule has said they have requested the Supreme Court to treat the two NCP factions equally and just as their party was given a new poll symbol, the same should be followed for the rival group led by Ajit Pawar, reported news agency PTI.

The NCP (SP) has sought "natural justice" from the Supreme Court, Lok Sabha member Sule told reporters on Saturday.

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The move comes ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, likely to be held in November.

Ajit Pawar along with several other MLAs joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in July 2023, leading to a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar.

The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, had 'clock' as its election symbol before the split.

In February this year, the Election Commission allotted the NCP name and the 'clock' symbol to the Ajit Pawar-led group, reported PTI.

On March 19, the top court allowed the Sharad Pawar faction to use 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as its name along with the symbol of 'man blowing turha' (a traditional trumpet) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, reported PTI.

It had passed the order on a plea by the Sharad Pawar group seeking to restrain the Ajit Pawar faction from using the 'clock' symbol for the polls, as allotted by the EC, on the ground that it was disrupting the level playing field, reported PTI.

The Sharad Pawar-led party moved the Supreme Court on Friday seeking that both factions of the NCP be given new poll symbols. The apex court has listed the plea for hearing on September 25.

Talking to mediapersons here on Saturday, Lok Sabha member Sule said, "Sharad Pawar is the founding member of our party and he takes all decisions. The NCP (SP) has sought natural justice from the Supreme Court," reported PTI.

"The court asked us to use the symbol of 'man blowing turha' until the final decision. The same decision should be taken for the other NCP faction. There is big confusion about the 'clock' symbol. Thus, we request the court to take a decision before the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections," Sule said, reported PTI.

There are two political parties claiming the same symbol and the court has not yet made a judgement, hence both the parties should be treated equally, said the Baramati MP, who is the daughter of Sharad Pawar, reported PTI.

The top court had earlier observed that the name and photographs of Sharad Pawar cannot be used by the Ajit Pawar faction for political gains.

Th Supreme Court on February 19 directed that the Election Commission's order allotting 'Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar' as the party name for the Sharad Pawar faction will continue till further orders.

On February 15, state assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar held the faction led by Ajit Pawar was the real NCP and the anti-defection provisions in the Constitution cannot be used to stifle internal dissent.

Sharad Pawar founded the NCP with former Lok Sabha speaker P A Sangma and Tariq Anwar in 1999 after their expulsion from the Congress.

(With inputs from PTI)