NITISH WINS ARROW SYMBOL, RECOGNISED AS REAL JD(U)

In a setback to Sharad Yadav-led JD(U) camp, the Election Commission on Friday rejected its petition staking claim to party symbol ‘arrow’ and recognised the Nitish Kumar-led group as the real JD(U). The decision will pave the way for Kumar to contest Gujarat elections.

The JD(U) in all probability will contest five seats in Gujarat, which goes to polls in December. The JD(U), an NDA ally, had contested on 65 assembly seats in 2012 but won just one seat.

“The party aims at contesting on 5-6 seats in Dahod and Chotta Udaipur areas where the tribal presence is more. The symbol arrow is very popular in those areas,” said party’s principal spokesperson KC Tyagi.

The EC in its order said the group led by 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 organisational body of the JD(U).

“The group led by Nitish Kumar is hereby recognised as the Janata Dal (United)...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,” the order read.

“This was obvious from day one. The decision has put a stamp on the claim that JD(U) led by Nitish Kumar is asli (real) one,” said JD(U) principal spokesperson, KC Tyagi.

The total legislative strength of the JD(U) in the country is 115 that includes, 72 MLAs, 31 MLCs, two Lok Sabha MPs and 10 Rajya Sabha MPs. “Out of this, 110 are with Nitish Kumar,” said Sanjay Kumar Jha, party’s national general secretary.

“The EC’s decision is disgraceful. This type of decision will encourage autocratic behaviour in parties. We will go to the people and let them decide which is the real JD (U),” said Yadav’s faction leader, Arun Kumar Srivastava.

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