Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) M S Gill told newsmen here on Friday that notices were being issued to both factions -- the JD (U) led by Sharad Yadav and the JD (S) headed by H D Deve Gowda -- and the hearings would begin at 2.30 pm on November 24.

The CEC however declined to comment on how long it would take the Election Commission to give an order on this, saying the course of judicial proceedings could not be forecast.

The hearing of the matter assumes significance in the light of the forthcoming Assembly elections in Bihar, where the term of the state Assembly is ending on April 9.

The Election Commission had on August 7, 1999, frozen the `Chakra' symbol and allotted alternative symbols to the two factions. The Commission also said that both factions would enjoy the status ofa national party temporarily for the 13th Lok Sabha elections and the simultaneous Assembly elections.

The Commission said that for the final determination of the dispute, the poll performance of the two groups at the general elections would be very relevant, ``as the same would truly reflect the choice of the electors, who, in democracy, are the ultimate arbiter of the fate of political parties.''

The Dal split into two factions just before the 13th Lok Sabha elections over the issue of joining the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, with the Sharad Yadav group favouring the alliance and the Deve Gowda group opposing it.

Following the split, the Deve Gowda group moved the Election Commission on July 22, 1999, seeking that the `Chakra' symbol be reserved for it. The Sharad Yadav group opposed the plea.

After detailed hearings on the matter, the full Election Commission ruled on August 7 that the `Chakra' symbol would be frozen and neither group would be allowed to use the name Janata Dal untilfurther orders of the Commission.

Both groups were given the choice of opting for an alternative name and symbol. Thus, while the Sharad Yadav group was allotted the name Janata Dal (United) and the symbol `Arrow', the Deve Gowda faction was given the name Janata Dal (Secular) and the symbol of `farmer driving tractor'.

According to preliminary estimates by the Election Commission of the votes polled by various parties, the JD (S) secured 0.92 per cent of the votes polled while the the JD (U) secured 3.05 per cent. While the JD (S) won only one seat, the JD (U) got 21.

However, a ticklish question before the JD (U), which contested the recent elections on a common symbol with the Lok Shakti and Samata Party, will be whether these two parties will formally merge with it prior to appearing before the Election Commission on November 24.