The JD(U) and RJD have started pushing the merger plan and the two parties have called separate meetings to seek seal of approval for the merger. RJD supremo lalu Prasad has convened national executive meeting on April 5 and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is holding meeting with his legislators on April 8.
These parties, seemingly, are accelerating the process of merger and finalise it from their level to give liberty to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, already authorised by the six Janata Parivar parties to take a call on merger, to declare the much touted merger.
lalu, whose silence on the merger plan created some suspicion, declared that merger would soon become a reality even if it takes some time. “The process in on and there is no suspicion. It can be announced any day but I can’t tell you the date and time. But it is certain that it will take place much before the Bihar Assembly election,” lalu declared while talking to media and added, “Ek jhanda, ek nishan, maang raha hai Hindustan” (India wants one flag and one symbol).
But the unpredictable lalu did not give a direct reply when asked if Nitish would be the face of the merged parties in the coming election. “How it should be declared now. What is the hurryIJ There are so many faces. Kisi ka chehra kharab hai kyaIJ (Is there any tainted faceIJ),” said lalu in his inimitable style.
But his comment gave an impression that the most crucial issue of leadership is still unresolved even as JD(U) is insisting that Nitish should be projected as the face in the Assembly polls.
lalu also clarified that he would continue his activities even if he did not get any post as there was no ego problem but hastened to add that all the technicalities would be decided by Mulayam who is busy in finalising the process.
The national executive meeting of RJD called on Sunday is expected to discuss the agenda of merger and also the organisational election. RJD’s vice-president and former Union Minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh who initially had reservation on merger plan, is also toeing lalu’s line and said the merger of the Socialist parties is the need of the hour.
Nitish has called the meeting of his legislators at his residence on Wednesday to seek their views and get endorsement of the proposal. In all probability there will be no voice of dissent as those opposing merger had either been suspended or their membership of Assembly terminated for different reasons. Most of them are following former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi who expects that after the merger, he would stake claim on the JD(U) and its symbol arrow.
But, lalu asserted that the JD(U) symbol would not be allotted to anybody as it would be frozen by the Election Commission once the party intimate its merger. He said it is the practice that after merger of parties symbols are frozen and not allotted to anybody else.
“Manjhi is surrounded by the people who are misleading him. Even if he manages to get arrow symbol what difference it would make on us,”
he quipped.