NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP to continue using the 'clock' symbol for the Maharashtra assembly elections after the the deputy chief minister assured the court that he would publish a disclaimer within 36 hours in leading newspapers, including Marathi dailies, stating that the legal fight with NCP founder Sharad pawar over control of party and its symbol is subjudice. Appearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and Ujjal Bhuyan, senior advocate Balbir Singh gave undertaking on behalf of Ajit Pawar after the court made it clear that breakaway NCP faction would have to comply with its interim order passed earlier this year. In an interim order, the apex court had on March 19 allowed Ajit's faction to hit the hustings using party name and the symbol 'clock' but directed the Election Commision to recognise the rival faction as 'NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar' and reserve symbol of man blowing turha (trumpet) for it.
It had directed Ajit's faction to give notice in newspapers stating that the matter pertaining to legal fight over the symbol was subjudice and was subject to the final outcome of the case. It said that the faction should mention it in all its pamphlets or audio/video advertisement meant to attract voters. "The respondents (NCP-Ajit Pawar) are directed to issue a public notice in the newspapers in English, Marathi, Hindi editions notifying that the allocation of the 'clock' symbol is sub judice and the res.
