Election Commission allots poll symbols, party names to Chirag, Paras factions amid LJP feud

New Delhi, Oct 5: Amid the LJP feud, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday alloted the name Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) to Chirag Paswan's faction with "helicopter" as the election symbol for the upcoming bypolls in Bihar. The Pashupati Kumar Paras faction of the party has been allotted the name 'Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party with 'sewing machine' as the election symbol by the EC.

 

 

 

"Having considered the request, the Election Commission has allotted the name Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) for your group and has allotted the symbol helicopter as the symbol to be allotted to the candidate set up, if any, by your group in the current by-election," read a directive issued by the EC to Chirag Paswan.

 

 

In another order issued to Pashupati Kumar Paras, the EC said, "Having considered your request, the commission has allotted the name Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party for your group and has allotted the symbol 'sewing machine' as the symbol to be allotted to the candidate set up, if any, by your group in the current by-election."

 

 

Earlier, the poll panel had barred both the factions from using the name of Lok Janshakti Party or its symbol "bungalow" till the dispute between the rival groups was settled. The commission had said that the two factions can use free symbols available to field their candidates for the bypolls to two assembly seats in Bihar in the coming days.

 

 

Both Chirag Paswan and newly-elected LJP national president Pashupati Kumar Paras, earlier in June, had written to the Election Commission over the right on the party symbol.

 

On June 13, Paras, the younger brother of LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan was recognised as the leader of LJP in Lok Sabha in place of Chirag Paswan after the five of six-party MPs gave a letter in his support.

 

The Speaker accepted Paras as the floor leader of the LJP in the lower house. In a revised list of floor leaders of parties, Paras was listed as the Lok Sabha LJP leader. The LJP was formed by former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in 2000. Paswan, a heavyweight leader in Bihar politics, passed away in October 2020.