Nitish Kumar’s faction of the Janata Dal (United) stakes claim to the party’s arrow symbol
A delegation of the Bihar chief minister’s camp told the Election Commission that Sharad Yadav had no basis to claim his side was the ‘real’ party.
Bihar Chief Nitish Kumar’s faction of the Janata Dal (United) on Friday staked claim to the party’s arrow symbol. A four-member delegation approached the Election Commission of India in Delhi, where they said former JD(U) President Sharad Yadav had no basis reason to claim the party or its symbol, The Times of India reported.
“We met the three-member EC on Friday and submitted several documentary evidences in support of our claim,” the party National Secretary General KC Tyagi told the newspaper. “In all these affidavits, party legislators and leaders have pledged their support to the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U).”
The rift in the Janata Dal (United) between Nitish Kumar and Sharad Yadav began after the Bihar chief minister broke the party’s alliance in the state with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. He joined hands with the Bhatariya Janata Party to form government in Bihar, after which Sushil Kumar Modi was sworn in as the deputy chief minister.
The affidavits submitted to the Election Commission include those of “all the 71 MLAs and 30 MLCs in Bihar; two Lok Sabha members; seven out of nine Rajya Sabha members; one MLC of Maharashtra besides 16 state units; 16 out of 20 party office-bearers; and 143 out of 180 our national council members”.
The Sharad Yadav faction of the Janata Dal (United) had met the Election Commission on August 25 and staked claim over the party’s arrow symbol and Delhi office. His camp had claimed that they represented the “real” party and that the majority of its national council members supported them.
“Sharad Yadav did not participate in the party executive meeting in Patna and instead, organised a parallel meeting with handful of his supporters,” said RCP Singh,
Rajya Sabha MP and senior JD(U) member RCP Singh, who was part of the delegation that met the polling monitor, said Sharad Yadav did not participate in the party executive meeting in Patna and instead, organised a parallel meeting with handful of his supporters, DNA reported.
“He also indulged in anti-party activity by taking part in the Rashtriya Janata Dal rally in Patna,” Singh said. “He has voluntarily given up the party membership and cannot claim any right over the JD(U).”