Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections on November 20, the Supreme Court has issued a directive to the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), barring them from using Sharad Pawar’s photo or videos in their campaign. This guidance comes nearly 17 months after the split within the NCP, during which Ajit Pawar’s group secured the rights to the party’s name and symbol from the Election Commission of India (ECI).
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan advised the Ajit Pawar faction to establish its own identity, stating, “You try to stand up on your own legs, now that you have ideological differences with Sharad Pawar.” The court also noted that voters are likely to recognize attempts at misrepresentation.
The directive follows concerns raised by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi on behalf of Sharad Pawar’s faction, alleging that the Ajit Pawar camp had circulated an old video of Sharad Pawar. Singhvi argued that this could mislead voters into thinking there was no rivalry between the two Pawars, potentially benefiting the Ajit Pawar group in the polls.
Sharad Pawar’s faction also raised concerns about the use of the clock symbol by Ajit Pawar’s NCP, claiming it led to confusion among voters due to the absence of disclaimers.
The upcoming election will be Maharashtra’s first since the split of two prominent regional parties, the Shiv Sena and the NCP, making it a pivotal event for state politics as voters choose representatives for the 288 assembly seats.
