New Delhi: Days after barring both factions of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) from using the name of the party or its symbol 'bungalow', the Election Commission on Tuesday assigned new election symbols as an interim measure.
The poll panel allotted the name 'Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas)' and the election symbol 'Helicopter' to the Chirag Paswan group while the name 'Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party and the symbol 'Sewing Machine' was allotted to the faction led by Pashupati Kumar Paras.
Chirag Paswan and his uncle Paras have been at loggerheads with each other since June this year over staking claim to the LJP. On Tuesday, the EC made its decision public and settled the matter.
Both the factions of the LJP have decided to field their party candidates in the upcoming by-polls. At present, the nomination process is under way for the two Assembly by-election seats in Bihar.
Earlier, the EC had barred both the factions from using the name of Lok Janshakti Party or its symbol 'bungalow' till the dispute between the two is settled by the poll panel in an interim order on October 2.
The EC had said both the groups were free to choose the names of their liking, including, if they so desire, linkage with their parent party Lok Janshakti Party.
The controversy in the LJP started in June this year when 5 MPs had defected from the faction led by Chirag Paswan and shifted to Pashupati Paras' camp and the latter had formed a separate party unannounced. After this, Chirag's uncle Pashupati Paras declared himself as the LJP National President as well as the successor of party founder and his brother late Ram Vilas Paswan.
Both the factions had written to the EC claiming that the 'bungalow' symbol was their respective election symbol. Chirag had told the EC that the Pashupati Paras-led faction had illegally taken control of the party.
Earlier, in the Lok Sabha, the faction led by Pashupati Paras was recognized as the Lok Janshakti Party by Speaker Om Birla and he was also made a Union minister in the Modi government.