Dissidents Claim Victory Over Rjr

A dissident group said Tuesday it had won backing from holders of a majority of RJR Nabisco Holdings Corp. shares for its non-binding proposal that the tobacco company immediately spin off its food business.

The results, if they hold up on closer examination, are a blow to RJR Nabisco, which had vigorously campaigned against the proposal.

The dissidents led by financier Bennett LeBow’s Brooke Group said their preliminary count showed that 50.4 percent of RJR’s more than 281 million shares were cast in favor of the resolution for the immediate spin-off.