The Supreme Court on Monday sought Ajit Pawar-led faction's response on Sharad Pawar's plea challenging the Election Commission's order on 'real' Nationalist Congress Party.
The two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Surya Kant, comprising JusticeK V Viswanathan was hearing the appeal filed by Sharad Pawar-led group.
The Court on Monday said that it would examine the issue and posted the matter for further hearing after three weeks. It said that the ECI order of February 7, granting the petitioner (Sharad Pawar-led faction) the right to use name of NCP Sharadchandra Pawar as per Symbols order should continue till further orders.
The top court also allowed Sharad Pawar to move Election Commission for allocation of party symbol, directing the poll panel to allot same within week of filing of application.
Senior lawyer and former Solicitor General (SG) Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Sharad Pawar, told the apex court that like the Sharad Pawar-led faction's plea, the Uddhav Thackeray matter is also pending and is similar in need of notice.
Dr Singhvi argued that he could not be made nameless and symbol-less. It is astonishing. My symbol was clock and my party name NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) gave me an interim symbol for purpose of 1 Rajya Sabha election. It is an absurd situation.
Sharad Pawar-led faction on February 12, had knocked the doors of the top court challenging the decision of the ECI to recognize Ajit Pawar faction as the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) The faction raised concerns about the EC's decision to hand over the clock symbol to Ajit Pawar's faction in its petition filed before the Top Court.