Sharad Pawar to SC: Restrain Ajit Pawar from using 'clock' symbol in Maharashtra elections

Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar has moved the Supreme Court seeking to restrain Ajit Pawar-led NCP from using the 'clock' symbol in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.

NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, in an application, has urged the top court to direct the Ajit Pawar group to apply to the Election Commission of India for a new symbol.

Following the rift in NCP, ECI in February this year recognised Ajit Pawar-led group as the official NCP based on its legislative majority and allotted the 'clock' symbol (the original symbol of the united NCP) to it.


Sharad Pawar has contended that the use of the 'clock' symbol by the rival group caused confusion among voters during the recent Lok Sabha elections, as a result of which NCP-SP suffered losses.

Such confusion would have a greater impact in the assembly elections due to the "relatively smaller size of the constituencies", the application states. Sharad Pawar has sought directions to Aijt Pawar "to apply for a fresh symbol for the limited purpose of contesting the upcoming Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections during the pendency of the matter".

A bench comprising justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan will take up the matter on October 15.