The Supreme Court has intervened in a legal battle between the factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and veteran leader Sharad Pawar, over the alleged misuse of Sharad Pawar’s name and images for political purposes.
Responding to a plea filed by the Sharad Pawar group, the apex court has requested a reply from the Ajit Pawar faction regarding the accusations of exploiting Sharad Pawar’s identity for electoral gains. Additionally, the court has urged Ajit Pawar’s faction to refrain from using Sharad Pawar’s name and the NCP’s clock symbol together in their election campaigns.
The court emphasized the necessity for Ajit Pawar’s faction to establish a distinct identity, suggesting the exploration of alternative symbols to avoid confusion among voters.
During the proceedings, senior advocate AM Singhvi, representing the Sharad Pawar faction, argued that the clock symbol, historically associated with Sharad Pawar, is being utilized by the Ajit Pawar faction to deceive voters deliberately. Singhvi cited statements made by senior leader Chagan Bhujbal to support the claim.
In defense, counsel Maninder Singh, representing Ajit Pawar’s faction, denied direct involvement in the dissemination of misleading posters, attributing them to isolated individuals. Singh asserted the difficulty in regulating such activities on social media platforms.
The legal dispute stems from an Election Commission (EC) order recognizing Ajit Pawar’s faction as the legitimate NCP. However, the apex court has permitted the Sharad Pawar faction to use the name ‘Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar’ temporarily and allowed them to apply for a new symbol.
Despite the EC’s prior decision to allot a name to Sharad Pawar’s faction for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar upheld Ajit Pawar’s faction as the authentic NCP, emphasizing the preservation of internal dissent within political parties.
