The clock symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party will stay with Ajit Pawar, the Supreme Court said today in a setback for veteran leader Sharad Pawar ahead of the Maharashtra assembly election. The court, however, added that the Ajit Pawar faction have to stick to its earlier order and add disclaimers in election advertisements, clarifying that the court is yet to take a final decision in the matter.
“If we feel that a deliberate attempt is being made to violate our order, we can initiate suo motu contempt proceedings,” said the bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan.
The earlier temporary order came when the Sharad Pawar faction had approached the top court, challenging the Election Commission’s decision to award of the party name and election symbol to the Ajit Pawar faction.
This time, the veteran leader had gone to court, complaining that the Ajit Pawar faction flouted the court’s order and did not add any disclaimer, creating “large scale confusion” in the minds of voters.
Today, the bench issued a notice to the Ajit Pawar faction, directing that it should not create “an embarrassing situation” for itself.
“Please file a fresh undertaking as well that you will not violate our directions present as well as till the end of elections. We expect both sides to comply our directions. Please don’t create an embarrassing (situation) for you,” Justice Kant said.
