The Supreme Court has summoned a response from Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction following a plea from the Sharad Pawar group, accusing them of exploiting Sharad Pawar’s name and images for political advantage. Justices Surya Kant and K.V. Viswanathan directed Ajit Pawar’s lawyer to ensure their faction refrains from using Sharad Pawar’s identity with their party. The court set a deadline of March 16 for Ajit Pawar’s faction to respond, scheduling further proceedings for March 19. Previously, the court upheld the Election Commission’s decision to recognize the Sharad Pawar faction as the legitimate NCP until further notice, prompting a counter-plea from Ajit Pawar’s side.