The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave relief to Ajit Pawar’s party on the dispute over the election symbol clock of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) before the Maharashtra Assembly. However, the court also advised Ajit and Sharad Pawar’s NCP. It said that they should not waste their time in the court, but go to the elections and woo the voters. The court asked the Ajit faction to publish a disclaimer in the newspapers within 36 hours that the matter of the clock election symbol is in the court. Sharad Pawar faction has filed a petition
Sharad Pawar faction has filed a petition on the election symbol dispute. It said that Ajit faction is not following the court’s order, so it should be stopped from using the clock symbol in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Also, Ajit faction should be directed to apply for a new symbol. The matter was also heard in the Supreme Court on 24 October, in which the court gave relief to the Ajit Pawar faction. The court had said that the NCP (Ajit faction) can use the clock symbol in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, but it will have to write in the election banners and posters that it is a matter of dispute and is pending in the court. The bench of Justice Suryakant, Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice Ujjwal Bhuiyan had directed Ajit Pawar’s lawyer that Ajit faction should also file a new affidavit. Also warned that if the order is violated, it (the court) will itself initiate a contempt case. Justice Suryakant had told Ajit Pawar’s lawyer Balveer Singh – Once we have issued the direction, it has to be followed. You file a reply and give a new affidavit that even in the past you have not violated and you will not violate in future also. We hope that both the parties will follow our instructions. Do not create an embarrassing situation for yourself. Courtroom LIVE Sharad Pawar faction’s lawyer Pranjal Agarwal: Ajit Pawar’s side is destroying evidence by deleting videos that were uploaded on social media without any disclaimer. They lie that there was a disclaimer at the end of every video. Pictures taken from Baramati constituency on November 1 show that Ajit Pawar’s side’s posters do not have any disclaimer. Sharad Pawar faction’s lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi: Ajit Pawar’s repeated violation of court orders has forced his side to come to court again and again. The arrangement you gave has failed. Ajit Pawar keeps saying that Sharad Pawar is our God. He knows what is the benefit of using Sharad Pawar’s name and clock symbol. The court’s order is being violated repeatedly,” Sharad Pawar has been using the clock symbol for the last 36 years.” Justice Dutta: In the Lok Sabha elections, Sharad Pawar’s party had won.
Singhvi: It is not a question of winning the election. Ajit Pawar faction should be directed to apply for a new election symbol before the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections. Justice Dutta: When elections are going on, how can the court stop Ajit Pawar from using the clock election symbol. Ajit faction’s lawyer Balbir Singh: Accepting Singhvi’s point would be like giving final relief during the hearing itself. NCP is following all the conditions imposed by the Supreme Court for the use of the ‘clock’ election symbol. The party is contacting newspapers to publish the disclaimer.
Justice Suryakant: Why are you taking time to publish the disclaimer in newspapers, we are not giving you days, we are asking in how many hours you can publish the disclaimer. Balbir Singh: This can be done within two-three days Justice Suryakant: Within 24 hours or maximum 36 hours, you publish a disclaimer in the newspapers. After this, Balbir Singh gave an undertaking in the court that within 36 hours, this disclaimer will be published in all major newspapers including Marathi dailies that the matter of NCP’s clock election symbol is still in the court. The last 4 hearings related to NCP’s election symbol… Voting in Maharashtra on November 20, counting on November 23
The Election Commission had announced the date of Maharashtra Assembly elections on October 15. Voting will be held on all 288 seats in the state in a single phase on November 20. The results will come on November 23. What is the whole matter… February 6: Election Commission considered Ajit faction as the real NCP, Sharad reached Supreme Court
After the decision of the Election Commission on February 6, Ajit Pawar’s supporters celebrated at the NCP office in Mumbai. The Election Commission had considered Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP on February 6 this year. Also, the Commission had asked Sharad Pawar to become the candidate for a new political party. Asked to give three names by 4 pm on 7 February. The Election Commission gave this decision after 10 hearings that lasted for 6 months. The commission said that the majority of the number of MLAs helped the Ajit faction to get the name and election symbol of NCP. Against which the party’s founder Sharad Pawar had filed a petition in the Supreme Court. On February 16, the Supreme Court accepted this petition of Sharad Pawar for urgent hearing. Read full news… February 15: Maharashtra Assembly Speaker calls Ajit faction the real NCP
Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar was ordered by the Supreme Court to give a verdict on the disqualification of NCP MLAs by February 15. Narvekar recognized the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP on February 15. He also rejected the demand to disqualify the MLAs of Ajit faction. The speaker had said that the anti-defection law in the 10th Schedule of the Constitution cannot be used to suppress internal dissent. When the NCP split in July 2023, Ajit Pawar The faction had an “overwhelming legislative majority” of 41 out of 53 MLAs. Read the full news… Ajit had said on July 5 – Now I am the NCP chief In the hearing on July 29, the court had sought a response from the Ajit faction
Sharad faction had filed a petition against the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker declaring Ajit faction as the real NCP. The case was heard by a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Padriwala and Justice Manoj Mishra. The court had sought a response from Ajit Pawar and 40 MLAs of his faction in the matter. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sharad faction, argued that the term of the assembly ended in November and demanded an early hearing. On this, the bench said that this petition of Sharad faction will be heard after hearing a similar petition filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction. The CJI said that we will issue notice and finally all the objections will be heard. In this, other respondents also have the freedom to give Dasti (a way of giving notice). Actually, the Uddhav Thackeray faction has has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court against declaring Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his faction as the real Shiv Sena. NCP limited to only 2 states
The NCP lost its national party status on 10 April 2023 on the basis of the then election results of 2000. Now it is recognized only as a regional party in Maharashtra and Nagaland.
