The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party not to use photos and videos of party founder Sharad Pawar in its campaign material for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls, reported Live Law.

“You try to stand up on your own legs, now that you have ideological difference with Sharad Pawar,” said the bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, according to Bar and Bench.

The court was hearing a petition moved by Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party faction in October, seeking to stop the rival group from using the clock symbol in the state polls.

The petition sought that the Ajit Pawar faction should be given a new election symbol to prevent confusion among voters. There was a need for fairness and clarity in the electoral process, the Sharad Pawar-led group said.

Appearing for the Sharad Pawar faction on Wednesday, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted to the court photos and videos published by Ajit Pawar faction candidate Amol Mitkari.

Singhvi said that the rival group was trying to “piggyback” on the reputation of Sharad Pawar, reported Live Law. He added that the Ajit Pawar faction was not complying with the top court’s previous order.

On October 24, the Supreme Court told Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party to add a disclaimer to all its campaign material for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, clarifying that its use of the “clock” symbol is sub-judice.

“Please concentrate on the battlefield, people will answer everything,” the court told the Ajit Pawar faction on Wednesday. “They [voters] are very wise and know where to vote and how to vote. We do not doubt their wisdom. They know who is Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. These video clips may or may not influence the voters. But when there is an order of this court, it has to be faithfully respected.”

The Ajit Pawar group agreed to not use Sharad Pawar’s photos in its campaign material.

The court posted the matter for hearing on November 19.

In July 2023, Ajit Pawar, along with several party MLAs joined Maharashtra’s coalition government comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. After joining the coalition, Ajit Pawar became the deputy chief minister.

The move had led to a split in the Nationalist Congress Party, with one faction supporting Sharad Pawar and the other backing Ajit Pawar.

In February, the Election Commission recognised the faction led by Ajit Pawar as the real Nationalist Congress Party and allocated it the clock symbol that is historically associated with it.

The poll panel assigned the name “Nationalist Congress Party – Sharadchandra Pawar” to the Sharad Pawar-led group.

This group was allocated the “man blowing a turha” symbol ahead of the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, but the move was challenged by the Sharad Pawar faction in the Supreme Court.

In March, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan ordered that the Ajit Pawar-led faction would be allowed to use the clock symbol for the Lok Sabha polls.

However, the party was required by the court to issue a public notice in newspapers – in English, Hindi and Marathi – clarifying that the use of the symbol is sub-judice. The party was directed to issue similar disclaimers in all its election campaign material, including posters and banners.

Also read: Can the Ladki Bahin scheme prove to be a gamechanger in Maharashtra elections?\