ECI freezes LJP’s party symbol as Paswan-Paras feud continues
The Election Commission in a statement said that the decision was taken as bypolls will be held in Bihar’s Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur.
The Lok Janshakti Party’s symbol was frozen by the Election Commission of India on Saturday as feud between factions led by Chirag Paswan and Union minister Pashupati Nath Paras continues to affect the party.
Earlier this year, a feud ensued between Chirag Paswan and his uncle Pashupati Nath Paras when the latter ousted Chirag Paswan, son of the party founder late Ram Vilas Paswan, from the LJP claiming that the outfit was now led by Paras, Ram Vilas Paswan’s younger brother.
The Election Commission in a statement said that the decision was taken as bypolls will be held in Bihar’s Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur. The EC said that both factions will not be allowed to use the party name unconditionally, nor can they use the ‘Bungalow’ symbol that the LJP has used till now.
The Election Commission asked both the factions to choose three free symbols in order of preference before 1pm Monday. The Commission will then allocate the symbols.
Union minister Pashupati Nath Paras, with the help of Prince Raj, Chandan Singh, Veena Devi and Mehboob Ali Kaiser, ousted Chirag Paswan from the position of party chief. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in June recognised Pashupati Kumar Paras as the leader of the party in the Lower House.
Chirag Paswan, who said that he was betrayed by his uncle, blamed Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and also hinted that even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may have played a role in deepening the rift between the party. “It is Nitish Kumar and his partymen who have targeted not only my party but also my family members,” Paswan said while speaking to HT earlier this year.
He also said that the silence from the BJP could also mean that their state unit too played a role.
