Personal hearing in Lok Janshakti Party symbol dispute postponed

The personal hearing fixed for Tuesday by the Election Commission to settle the Lok Janshakti Party symbol dispute has been postponed as Chirag Paswan sought an adjournment due to his preoccupation with the Gujarat assembly polls, sources said.

The poll panel had called the factions led by Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras for personal hearing this afternoon at Nirvachan Sadan, the EC headquarters.

Sources said Paswan had recently sought an adjournment claiming his preoccupation with the Gujarat assembly polls for which voting will be held on December 1 and 5.

A fresh date is yet to be decided by the poll panel, the sources said. In its interim order in October 2021, the Commission had barred the two rival groups from using the name of Lok Janshakti Party or its symbol 'bungalow' till the dispute between them was settled by it.

Paswan's faction is now known as Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and has the helicopter symbol.

The rival faction led by his uncle has been allotted the name Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party and the sewing machine as its poll symbol.

After the demise of LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan in 2020, his son Chirag Paswan and the late leader's brother Paras had staked claim over the party leadership and had approached the poll panel in this regard.