Following a rift between the Sharad Pawar and the Ajit Pawar factions of the NCP, the Election Commission of India recognised the Ajit Pawar's party as the real NCP based on its legislative majority and allotted the 'clock' symbol to it.

Sharad Pawar’s lawyers argued Ajit, who broke away from the parent party & joined the ruling Mahayuti in Maharashtra last year, was piggybacking on the veteran leader’s goodwill.

Asking both the NCP factions to focus on their side of the electoral battle, the bench, which also included Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasised that voters are wise enough to see through any confusion.

The NCP led by Ajit Pawar is contesting a total of 60 seats, including friendly fights in eight seats, as per the seat sharing arrangement in Mahayuti. The NCP (SP) is contesting 86 seats, including one friendly fight,

The Supreme Court has ordered Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP to stop using images of Sharad Pawar in the Maharashtra elections, emphasizing the need for separate identities amid ongoing disputes between the factions.

Supreme Court instructed Ajit Pawar's faction of NCP not to use photos and videos of Sharad Pawar as Maharashtra goes to polls next week.

The bench led by Justice Surya Kant instructed both factions of the NCP to respect voter wisdom and focus on the electoral battlefield.

The Supreme Court has directed Ajit Pawar's NCP not to depend on Sharad Pawar's pictures for poll campaign in Maharashtra.