The national executive committee of JD (U) in a meeting on Sunday in Delhi has at a length agreed to the proposal to merge with regional outfits -- including the JVM and RlD of Ajit Singh. With this, the formal step towards turning the Nitish Kumar headed party into a national entity has been initiated and expected to complete in a month time.
Informing about this the party's secretary general and Rajya Sabha MP KC Tyagi said that the leadership of all the parties concerned would approach the Election Commission under the due process.
"Our executive committee has agreed to collect parties with similar principles together and work towards the formation of a new national level party. Our leadership has done primary level talks with Babulal Marandi in Jharkhand and Ajit Singh in UP. The process of merger would be initiated and based on the set rules with the Election Commission it would take about a month. Marandiji and Ajit Singh would also have to pass through similar process," said Tyagi over phone after the meeting that also saw its incumbent national president Sharad Yadav stepping down and making way for the Bihar Chief Minister at the helm.
The party seems also in a hurry to conclude the process keeping in mind UP Assembly polls due in 2017. "Unity of anti-BJP forces is necessary ahead of UP election. We want to win the battle of 2019 in 2017 itself. For that, we have to complete the process as soon as possible," added Tyagi.
When contacted, JVM also sounded positive about the development. "We have already approved the merger plan and formation of a new party in our executive committee. We are going to be the founding members of the new party at the national level taking along the issues relating to Jharkhand. Now when the approval from the JD (U) has come, we would in week time sit and discuss the process of formal merger," said JVM vice president Saba Ahmed.
JVM has recently approved the merger plan and its supremo Babulal Marandi had drove down to Patna last week to stamp the final deal with Nitish Kumar.
Indications coming out suggest the leaders are in agreement over the name- 'Jan Vikas Party'- and issues such as symbol, flag etc would have to be approved by their respective governing bodies.
"We would call a meeting of our leaders in which all the nitty-gritty would be passed with consensus. Following that we would approach to the Election Commission with formal merger application," said Ahmed.