NCP will not use name, picture of Sharad Pawar on banner or poster: Ajit Pawar assures SC
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by him will not use the name or picture of party founder Sharad Pawar on banners, posters or any election material. Ajit Pawar had spllit the NCP in July last year and walked away with a majority of MLAs to join the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Eknath Shinde.
He furnished an undertaking before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan pursuant to a March 14 order by the apex court.
«The Respondent has duly instructed the rank and file of the party to refrain from using the photographs or name of Sharad Pawar on any poster/banner of Nationalist Congress Party,» the undertaking said.
Filed through advocate Abhikalp Pratap Singh, it added, «The respondent further states that there will be no usage of name or picture of Sharad Pawar on any banner, poster or any election material published etc. on behalf of the Nationalist Congress Party.»
The deputy chief minister said the members of his party have been duly apprised of the judgement of the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the result/outcome thereof and a communication/notice has been issued by Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP chief.
The bench, after perusing Tatkare's letter, directed that a similar notice be issued with regard to other states as well.
The undertaking referred to the application filed by Sharad Pawar seeking to restrain the Ajit Pawar faction from using the 'clock' symbol claiming that several
