nAfter it recognised the breakaway faction led by Ajit Pawar as the “real” Nationalist Congress Party (allotted) it the original “clock” symbol, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has allotted a ‘Man Blowing Turha’ (Man Blowing Trumpet) poll symbol to the  Sharad Pawar-headed NCP  for the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Alluding to a Supreme Court order dated February 19 and the list of symbols in order of preference submitted through a letter by NCP president Sharad Pawar, the ECI has allotted the symbol “Man Blowing Turha” to his party.  The symbol has been allotted to the NCP (Sharad Pawar) for use in all Parliamentary constituencies in the state.   

Welcoming the allotment of ‘tutari’ (traditional trumpet), the NCP (Sharad Pawar) said that the symbol granted to it “enjoys great relevance for all important or auspicious or military events in Maharashtra and is a well-recognised musical instrument across the state since times immemorial”. They said that they were now fully ready to blow the trumpet for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, as the clock ticks away.

“The Tutari, in the form of great valour of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, had once deafened the emperor of Delhi. It is a great honour for our party to get Tutari (Man Blowing Turha) as our symbol for upcoming elections.

Our Tutari is now ready to shake Delhi’s throne under the leadership of Sharad Pawar,” the NCP (Sharad Pawar) said in a post on X.

Welcoming the ECI’s order allotting it Man Blowing Turha” symbol, State NCP (Sharad Pawar) president by saying: “Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji’, while state party general secretary Jitendra Awhad said: “Let’s go to Lok Sabha polls by blowing the trumpet and vowing the bury the traitors (the rival Ajit Pawar-led NCP)”.

The allotment of symbol “Man Blowing Turha” to the NCP (Sharad Pawar) little over a fortnight after the ECI recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the “real NCP” and gave it control over the party’s name and “clock” symbol, on February 6 2024.

It may be recalled that on July 2, 2023, senior NCP leader and then leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Ajit Pawar rebelled against his uncle and his party chief Sharad Pawar, walked out of the party with a sizeable number of supporters and took oath as deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-BJP alliance government in the state.

On its part, the NCP (Sharad Pawar) has moved a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the ECI’s order of February 6, 2024, recognising the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the “real NCP” and giving it control over the party’s name and “clock” symbol.