Nitish Kumar faction authorized to use JD-U election symbol

The Janata Dal (United) group led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is now the official owner of party symbol 'arrow'.

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday passed orders in this regard.

Chhotubhai Amarsang Vasava, lone JD(U) MLA from Gujarat, had filed petition in the EC and sought a direction that the faction of Janata Dal (United) led by him may be recognised as the said Party.

In his plea, he had claimed that "he has been elected as the Acting President of the Janata Dal (United) on 17-09-2017 in a meeting of the National Executive of the Party held at New Delhi until the election of a new President in accordance with the Constitution of the Party".

Vasava had alleged that there has been a dispute in the party following the decision taken in July by the Kumar-led faction to end the grand alliance (Mahagathbandhan), which Congress, JD(U) and Rashtriya Janata Dal formed in 2015, and align with the BJP.

According to the petitioner, the decision taken by the Kumar-led faction was against an earlier decision taken by the party and the principles of the JD(U).

Considering the upcoming elections in Gujarat, the EC took up this matter on priority.

After hearing arguments from petitioner's lawyer, Kapil Sibal, and Nitish Kumar's lawyer, Rakesh Dwivedi; the EC authorized Kumar-led faction to use 'Arrow' symbol.

The EC found "the respondent group led by Nitish Kumar has demonstrated overwhelming majority support in the legislature wing as well as the majority in the National Council of the Party which is the Apex level organisational Body of the Party."

Hence, the top election body concluded "(that) the group led by Nitish Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal (United) in terms of Paragraph-'l5 of the Symbols Order. Consequently, the group led by Nitish Kumar is entitled to use the reserved symbol 'Arrow' of the Party as a recognised State Party in Bihar.