MUMBAI: As if the tension among the family and members of both the factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) clan in their home turf of Baramati was not enough, one of them has a new issue at hand, the issue of the symbol. The NCP's Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) faction is annoyed that its faction has got the symbol of a man playing 'Tutari' a man blowing a trumpet (Turha), and the party claimed that a similar symbol of a trumpet as a symbol has been allotted to an independent candidate and will create confusion among the voters.

After the NCP split in July 2022 led by Baramati MLA Ajit Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar, and the group joined the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, the Election Commission recognised the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and allotted it the clock symbol. The NCP-SP was later given the poll symbol of a man playing 'Tutari' along with the new name of NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) for the faction. 

Now an Independent candidate in Baramati  Sohail Yunus Shah Shaikh has been given the trumpet symbol, with the Marathi word 'Tutari' mentioned in front of the symbol which happened to be the namesake of the election symbol of NCP-SP in Marathi language. The NCP-SP said that they have raised an objection by submitting an application to the Election Commission of India (ECI) claiming it would create confusion in the minds of voters, however, the plea has been rejected by the ECI.

If the symbol was not enough NCP-SP party is also miffed about another issue that has cropped up, an independent candidate named Sharad Pawar has filled out the form for the election in the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. This person’s name is Sharad Ram Pawar and the party claims this will further confuse the voters who wish to vote for their candidate.