EC doesn’t take cognisance of Sharad Yadav plea

New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Election Commission (EC) has not taken cognisance of an application by a faction led by Sharad Yadav for being the "real JD-U, citing lack of documents, informed sources said on Tuesday.

The sources said a communication to this effect has been sent to former Union Minister Sharad Yadav's faction by the poll panel.

JD -U led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the EC's communication and said that Sharad Yadav's faction had not presented supporting documents to show adequate support in the legislative and organisational wings of the party.

In a press release issued here, JD-U Secretary General K.C. Tyagi said the real JD-U was led by Nitish Kumar and there was "no split in the party".

He said all MLAs, MLCs, Lok Sabha members and majority of Rajya Sabha members along with central and state party workers expressed faith in Nitish Kumar's leadership.

Tyagi said the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal, with help of some rebel JD-U leaders, had tried to confuse and divide the party but failed.

He said the poll panel told former Union Minister Sharad Yadav that "you have not produced any supporting documents to show that the group referred to in your application has adequate support of legislative wing and organsiational wings of the party so as to make it a splinter group of the party within the meaning of Paragraph 15 of the Elections Symbols Order, 1968".

Tyagi said Nitish Kumar had requested the Rajya Sabha Chairman to take a serious note against party members involved in anti-party activities.

On September 8, a JD-U delegation led by party MP R.C.P. Singh approached the poll panel and staked claim on the party symbol, saying Sharad Yadav had claim on the party.

Last month, Sharad Yadav too submitted a memorandum to the commission, staking claim on the party.