New Delhi:

The names and election symbols of the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party will remain as the Election Commission decided for now, the Supreme Court said today, advising status quo ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections. The order, though, is temporary and the matter would be revisited after the parties respond to the court’s order, issued while hearing a challenge by the Sharad Pawar faction of the party against the poll body’s decision.

The chief grouse of the Sharad Pawar faction — the use of the clock symbol by the Ajit Pawar faction in the Lok Sabha election — remained unaddressed.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan said the Ajit Pawar faction will be able to use the clock symbol, but they have to publish advertisements saying the matter is sub judice. The public notices have to be there in all election-related audio-visual advertisements and publicity material like banners and posters.

The Sharad Pawar faction can use the “man blowing trumpet” symbol and the name Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar), the court said, asking the Election Commission not to reissue them to any other party.

The undivided NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, had “clock” as its election symbol, which was awarded to the Ajit Pawar faction by the Election Commission last month along with the party name.

The Sharad Pawar faction has challenged the decision, saying in view of the high recall value of the poll symbol, it gives the Ajit Pawar faction an extra advantage during the election.  

The judges have also asked the Ajit Pawar camp to file its response to the Sharad Pawar group’s plea against the order of the Election Commission recognising the former as the real NCP. The response has to be filed within a month.