EC allots new names, poll symbols to Chirag Paswan's LJP, Paras's faction

Warring Chirag Paswan and the Pashupati Kumar Paras factions were on Tuesday allocated new names and poll symbols by the Election Commission as an interim measure, three days after barring them using the name of the Lok Janshakti Party or its symbol 'bungalow'.

In a letter to Chirag, the Commission said it has allotted the name 'Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)' and the election symbol 'helicopter' to his faction.

Separately, it told Paras, "Having considered your request, the commission has allotted the name 'Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party' for your group and has allotted 'Sewing Machine' as the symbol to be allotted to the candidate set up, if any, by your group in the current bye-election."

Five of the six MPs of LJP had rebelled against Chirag and joined the Narendra Modi government during the Union Cabinet reshuffle in July this year. Paras was made a Cabinet Minister and allocated the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, while BJP chose to ignore Chirag, who had contested against the NDA in Bihar Assembly elections.

Paras and Chirag claimed their factions to be the original LJP and their fight reached the Election Commission, which on October 2 barred both the factions from using the name of LJP or its symbol 'bungalow' till the dispute between the two is settled by the poll panel. This order covers the October 30 bypolls to 30 assembly seats and three Lok Sabha seats across India, including two assembly constituencies in Bihar.

The order would "continue till the final determination of the dispute in the matter" according to provisions of the Election Symbol (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968.

"Both the groups shall also be allotted such different symbols as they may choose from the list of free symbols notified by the Election Commission for the purposes of the current bye-elections, including Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur assembly constituencies in Bihar," the order had then said.