The Supreme Court on Wednesday instructed the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to publish a disclaimer in newspapers, including Marathi publications, clarifying that the allocation of the “clock” symbol is still under judicial consideration.

The court mandated that this disclaimer be published in these newspapers within 36 hours of the order.

The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan, was hearing petitions concerning the use of the NCP’s disputed “clock” symbol, which has been a point of contention between the two factions.

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During the hearing, the court made the remark, “Don’t waste your energy in courts. You both should go and be with the voters to woo them,” urging both factions to concentrate on their electoral campaigns instead.

Senior advocate Balbir Singh, representing the Ajit faction, confirmed compliance with the disclaimer order, emphasising that his clients had already completed the nomination process. However, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, counsel for the Sharad Pawar faction, argued that the “clock” symbol has been associated with the veteran leader for over three decades and alleged that the opposing faction was exploiting it to unfairly sway voters.

Singhvi noted the court’s March 19 order, which mandated disclaimers on all campaign materials from the Ajit faction—a requirement he claimed was not fully observed. Seeking a new symbol for the opposing side, Singhvi argued that ongoing violations were disrupting the fairness of the election.

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The bench declined Singhvi’s request for immediate intervention, stating it would interfere with the electoral process. Justice Datta advised both factions against using the “clock” symbol in a way that could confuse voters mid-campaign.

Sharad Pawar’s primary petition, contesting a February 6 Election Commission (EC) decision that recognized the Ajit faction as the legitimate NCP, remains pending before the Supreme Court. In earlier rulings, the court allowed Ajit Pawar’s faction to use the “clock” symbol, with the condition that disclaimers clarify the matter’s sub-judice status. Meanwhile, the Sharad Pawar faction can use the name “Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar” with the “turha” symbol.

The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 alongside P.A. Sangma and Tariq Anwar, split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar joined the BJP-Shiv Sena coalition under Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

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