Clearing the main hurdle in the unification exercise of Janata Parivar, lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) ratified the proposed merger in its National Executive (NE) meeting in Patna on Sunday. With this, the birth of a party consisting of six regional outfits and a sizeable presence in the Hindi heartland is a mere formality now. While a section of RJD was opposed to the merger, the other constituents of the unity exercise faced no internal rift. That’s why RJD’s decision is seen as a decisive move in the direction of the merger of six parties.
After RJD ratified the merger, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and party general secretary KC Tyagi met Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav in the national Capital. Mulayam is likely to be the leader of the unified outfit. Sources said Mulayam wants to retain SP’s bicycle symbol for the new party, which might be named Samajwadi Janata Dal or Samajwadi Janata Party.
While Mulayam will head the new party and will be its leader in the lok Sabha, lalu Prasad could be its campaign committee chief or national convener. Sharad Yadav is likely to be leader of the party in Rajya Sabha while Nitish Kumar could be its vice president or working president. Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda could get some ceremonial posts.
The six parties, which will be merged into one entity, are: SP, RJD, JD(U), JDU(S), INlD and Samajwadi Janata Party. lalu took the lead by announcing its merger even though he faced dissent from his lok Sabha MP Pappu Yadav. Pappu, who had publicly opposed the merger plan, said at the meeting that the merger would not benefit RJD and favoured that the party maintain its existence.
“The merger of six Janata Parivar parties is final and only the formalities remain. The entire nation has set its eyes on the Bihar Assembly election and BJP is terrified. The final announcement will be made by Mulayam Singh Yadav,” declared lalu with a slogan, “Ek Jhanda, Ek Nishan, BJP Ko Bhagane Ke liye Maang Raha Hai Hindustan.” He called BJP a “cheater” party.
Former MP Prabbhunath Singh said Pappu wanted a merger after Bihar Assembly elections. lalu reportedly admonished Pappu, one of his three lok Sabha members, and told him point blank that he should know his limits and that opposition to the merger would not be tolerated.
“Merger means merger, come what may,” lalu said. Former Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who initially had reservations over the merger, said at the meeting that the merger should be formalised without further delay because demurral only causes misunderstanding among the people.
He said the BJP is so fearful of the merger that it has already started to peddle the idea that jungle raj would return. “Fact is, BJP has created jungle raj in the whole country and there is total anarchy and indiscipline. After a retired judge, now BJP’s sadhu MP has started blaming Mahatma Gandhi by calling him a traitor and British agent,” said Singh.
Hitting out at PM Modi in his inimitable style, lalu said, “With Modi’s lies, even God’s worried. God summoned Narada saying whoever is mouthing lies on Earth should be probed and a mechanism developed to find out the culprit. A big ghanta (bell) was installed with a mechanism that if anybody tells lies, it will ring. With Modi’s lies, the whole of India is ringing tana tan, tana tan.”
lalu said he is warning BJP leaders that before they set foot in Bihar, the party has to deposit Rs 15 lakh in the accounts of each Bihari and provide employment. SP has five members in the lok Sabha followed by RJD with four MPs while JD(U), JD(S) and INlD each has two legislators, giving the group a total of 15 members in the lower House.
In the Rajya Sabha, too, SP leads the pack with 15 members while JD(U) has 12 and INlD, JD(S) and RJD one MP each. Their total number in the Upper House is 30.