Election Commission of India assigns new symbol to Sharad Pawar's NCP faction

The Election Commission of India (ECI) designated the "man blowing turha" (a traditional trumpet) as the official symbol for the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar on Thursday, February 22, according to Clyde Crasto, the party's spokesperson.

Clyde Crasto informed PTI that their candidates will be participating in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections under this symbol.

The Election Commission's official statement stated, "In response to the received request, the symbol 'Man Blowing Turha' is allocated to the group/party for all parliamentary constituencies in the State of Maharashtra."

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The 'turha' is a classic trumpet, also recognised as 'tutari.' "The Tutari, symbolizing the immense valor of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, once resonated to the point of deafening the emperor of Delhi. It is a profound privilege for our party to adopt the Tutari (Man Blowing Turha) as our symbol for the upcoming elections. Under the guidance of Sharadchandra Pawar, our Tutari stands prepared to make a resounding impact on Delhi's political landscape," stated Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar in a post on X.

It’s worth mentioning that the NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, experienced a division in July of the previous year when Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs switched allegiance and joined the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra.

This decision led to a split within the NCP, and the allocation of distinct symbols underscores the continuing discord between the uncle and nephew.

Subsequently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) granted the party name and the symbol of a 'clock' to the faction headed by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

(With inputs from agencies)