LJP crisis: Warring Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Paras get new party names, symbols

New Delhi, Oct 5: The Election Commission allotted a new party name and symbol to Chirag Paswan, son of late union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras.

While Chirag has been given 'Helicopter' as election symbol, Pashupati is allotted 'sewing machine.'

The EC has given Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) to Chirag Paswan as the party name and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party to Pashupati Nath Paras.

Last week, the election commission had frozen Lok Jan Shakti Party's name and symbol due to competing claims. "Neither of the two groups led by Pashupati Kumar Paras and [the] other led by Chirag Paswan shall be permitted to use the name of the party Lok Janshakti Party and neither of the two groups shall also be permitted to use the symbol bungalow," in its order dated 2 October the commission said.

Welcoming the decision, Pashupati Kumar Paras said, "I welcome the Election Commission's decision. I have been allotted the name Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party and the 'Sewing Machine' symbol."

The two factions led by Chirag Paswan and Pashupati Kumar Paras have been at loggerheads to take control of the Lok Jan Shakti founded by late Ram Vilas Paswan (LJP) in 2000.

Paswan was thrown out of the party earlier this year by Paras stating that the LJP was being run by him. Paras, with the support of Prince Raj, Chandan Singh and a few others, ousted Paswan from the party and met Lok Sabha speaker asking him to recognise him as the party chief.

Meanwhile, the elections for the by-polls in Kusheshwar Asthan and the Tarapur assembly seats in Bihar will be held on October 30.