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The two cases before ECI are related to Maharashtra's Nationalist Congress Party and Bihar's Lok Jantantrik Party. While NCP is part of INDIA bloc, LJP is in NDA fold.
Another one is related to Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. While its original 'bow and arrow' symbol has been given to the Eknath Shinde faction, the free symbol allocated to it - 'mashaal' or torch - is in dispute. Uday Mandal-led Samata Party, which once held the symbol and fought 2022 UP civic polls under it, has urged ECI to withdraw 'mashaal' from the UT Sena. The issue has been dragged to courts too.
The NCP symbol dispute will be watched out most closely. ECI has completed all hearings under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968. ET has learnt that a verdict on the symbol - the analogue alarm clock on the tricolour - is expected soon.
While Ajit Pawar faction has claimed legislative majority, Sharad Pawar faction has claimed organisational strength at ECI hearings.
LJP's 'bungalow' symbol was frozen by ECI on October 2, 2021, ahead of bypolls to Tarapur and Kusheshwar Asthan assembly constituencies. The Chirag Paswan and Paras factions were allocated helicopter and sewing machine symbols, respectively, and used different party names.
ECI had then said that a final call will be taken after the due data is provided by both factions. The final data is still due despite several reminders by the commission. Both LJP factions have repeatedly sought deadline extension on some pretext or the other and are yet to submit full documents, ET has learnt.
The LJP (Ram Vilas Paswan) faction contested assembly bypolls in Bihar as well as the recent Telangana assembly polls. The faction represented by Union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras also contested MLC election in Bihar a few months ago and won a seat on its temporary symbol. Both factions hardly seem keen to pursue the symbol fight.
In fact, LJP (Ram Vilas Paswan), headed by Chirag Paswan, is learnt to be willing to contest the Lok Sabha polls on the new symbol. "EC hearing was scheduled around the recently held assembly elections. Due to our busy schedule during the campaign, we asked for deferment for some time. I believe the other faction too gave the same reasons for deferring the hearing. We haven't got another date from EC. As far as the question of the symbol is concerned, we have made our claims to the Bungalow symbol originally held by LJP and there is no question of compromise on that," LJP (Ram Vilas Paswan) spokesman Ajay Pandey told ET.
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