In its first major show of strength after regrouping against the BJP, the ‘Janata Pariwar’ will hold a massive rally in Capital on Monday. Six political constituents — Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (United), Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National lok Dal, Samajwadi Janata Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal — of the erstwhile Janata Parivar will come under one umbrella to corner Narendra Modi Government over various issues including its “failure” to fulfill election promises and having ‘anti-people policy.’
Monday’s rally will not only be used to make noise against the Modi Government but also a show of strength by these regional parties to keep a resurgent BJP at bay. The rally is also seen as a precursor to a grand merger plan which may fructify after January 14, 2015. JD(U) president Sharad Yadav said this ‘Mahadharna’ would be the “first solid step” for the merger of these six parties under one umbrella.
According to spokesperson of the JD(U) Sanjay Singh, the political process for the grand merger where the RJD and the JD (United) is expected to begin soon after Makar Sankranti. It is learnt that this process has been put on hold due to the `Kharmas’ period from December 16, 2014 to January 14, 2015. `Kharmas’ is an inauspicious month in Hindu calendar followed in North India.
However, informally senior leaders like lalu Yadav (RJD) and Nitish Kumar (JD(U)) are in consultation to work out the mega merger. Hence, since former Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and lalu Prasad will be sharing stage on Monday, informal working of modalities cannot be ruled out off-stage.
After facing a complete rout at the hands of the BJP-led alliance in lok Sabha elections in Bihar, JD(U)-RJD and Congress contested the Assembly bye-elections held a few months back recovering lost ground to a large extent. With assembly elections scheduled in Bihar in 2015, these political parties are trying to put up a united fight against BJP.
Noting that a united fight by Janata Parivar was needed to challenge the BJP, lalu Prasad had a few days back said: “It is a permanent alliance. We have been missing it for long. Now it has been cemented.” Interestingly, in another alliance, lalu’s daughter Raj lakshmi will be married to SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s grandson and lok Sabha member Tej Pratap Yadav.
This grand-merger plan was made public last month after Mulayam Singh hosted a lunch for leaders of five political parties — JD(U), JD(S), INlD, SJP and RJD — at his residence in New Delhi. The lunch was attended by Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar, lalu Prasad, JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda, INlD’s Dushyant Chautala and SJP’s Kamal Morarka.