Man blowing turha: Sharad Pawar faction of NCP gets new party symbol

Mumbai: The Election Commission of India on Thursday allotted “man blowing turha (a traditional trumpet)” as the symbol of the Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar, the outfit’s spokesperson Clyde Crasto said.

“Our candidates will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on this symbol,” he told PTI.

‘Man blowing turha’ is the new symbol of NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar, the ECI said in its order.

Also called ‘tutari’ in Marathi, the trumpet is sounded to mark the entry of important persons, ranging from kings earlier to political leaders now.

The Sharad Pawar faction quoted lines from a popular poem ‘Tutari’ written by Jnanpith awardee Kusumagraj.

“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 Sharadchandra Pawar,” the party said in a post on X.

The Sharad Pawar-founded NCP split in July last year after Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde government.

The ECI later gave the party name and ‘clock’ symbol to the faction led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.