New names and symbols were allotted to the rival factions of the Janata Dal: Sharad Yadav's faction is called Janata Dal (United) with arrow as the symbol and Gowda's faction is called Janata Dal (Secular) with a farmer driving tractor as symbol. JD (Sharad) had wanted its faction called JD (Samata-Shakti) or Sanyukta JD or JD (United) and `arrow' or `cart' symbol for the coming elections.

The Gowda-led JD wanted to be called either JD (Secular) or JD (Democratic) and (farmer driving a tractor, cart or diesel as its election symbol. While freezing the Dal's `wheel' symbol on Saturday, both thegroups were given a day's time by the EC to submit their preferences. While the Gowda group intimated its preferences on Saturday, the Sharad group informed its choice on Sunday.

The EC, which gave its interim order on the symbol dispute between the groups following last month's split in Dal over the issue of joining the BJP-led NDA, had restrained both the groups from using the name and symbol of Janata Dal while giving them ad hoc national party status for the coming elections only.