The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) over the symbol of a trumpet-like instrument allotted to an independent candidate contesting Lok Sabha elections 2024 from its stronghold, Baramati, in Maharashtra`s Pune district, the PTI reported on Tuesday.

The NCP (SP) has claimed that the Election Commission has allotted a trumpet-like symbol to independent candidate Shaikh Soyalshah Yunusshah and has identified it as “tutari”, according to the PTI.

The Election Commission of India has allotted “a man blowing turha” (a traditional trumpet) as the poll symbol for the NCP (SP).

The complaint filed by Laxmikant Khabiya, the poll representative of the party`s candidate, Supriya Sule, stated that there is a similarity in both names, which can cause confusion among voters, as per the PTI.

Laxmikant Khabiya submitted the complaint to the returning officer on April 20.

“The symbol given to the independent candidate is a trumpet. In Marathi, it cannot be called `tutari`. We have requested the ECI to call the symbol `trumpet` instead of `tutari`,” he stated in the complaint, the news agency reported on Tuesday.

The “turha” in the NCP (SP) symbol is also called “tutari” in Marathi. It is sounded to mark the entry of important persons, ranging from kings earlier to political leaders now.

Baramati in Maharashtra`s Pune will go to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 7.

Baramati is the home turf of the Pawar family, and Supriya Sule, the daughter of Sharad Pawar, has represented the constituency thrice so far and is seeking a fourth term.

Supriya Sule is pitted against her sister-in-law and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar`s wife Sunetra Pawar, the candidate of the NCP.

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP is part of the Mahayuti alliance comprising the Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP.

Earlier, Supriya Sule and her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar had filed their nominations on Thursday.

Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vishwajeet Kadam, among others, accompanied Supriya Sule as she filed the nomination papers before the returning officer at the Council Hall in Pune.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and NCP leader Praful Patel were present when Sunetra Pawar, who is making her poll debut, filed her nomination.

(with PTI inputs)

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