Nitish Kumar leaders move EC, stake claim on JD(U) name, symbol

The JD(U) leaders told the EC that the claim to the name and symbol laid by a rival faction led by former JD(U) president and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Yadav had no substance.

JDU symbol row, Nitish Kumar, KC Tyagi, Sharad Yadav, Election Commission, JDU symbol, India news, Indian Express

The JD(U) delegation outside EC office in New Delhi Friday. (PTI Photo)

A four-member team of the JD(U) faction led by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar approached the Election Commission (EC) on Friday and staked claim over the party’s name, flag and election symbol, the arrow. The leaders told the EC that the claim to the name and symbol laid by a rival faction led by former JD(U) president and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Yadav had no substance.

The dominant faction, which had so far focused primarily on securing Yadav’s disqualification from the Rajya Sabha, turned its attention towards the poll panel after the rival side submitted a memorandum to stake its claim.

JD(U) secretary-general K C Tyagi, who led the delegation, told The Indian Express that they gave documents to the EC to substantiate their memorandum. “We submitted signed affidavits of all our 71 members of the Bihar Assembly, 30 members of the Legislative Council, two Lok Sabha MPs, and seven of 10 Rajya Sabha MPs,” Tyagi said. Besides, the team submitted letters of support by 16 of 20 national office-bearers, 16 of 22 state presidents and the majority of members of the national executive and the national council.”

On Friday, Arun Kumar Shrivastav of the Sharad Yadav faction announced that he and his colleagues plan to hold a meeting of the party’s “national council” on October 5 in New Delhi.

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