Merger of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) with the JD(U) has reached its last leg after Babulal Marandi met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar late on Tuesday. The leaders went into huddle in Patna to seal the deal that would see another regional outfit Rashtriya lok Dal (RlD) of Ajit Singh joining hands together.
It is learnt that all formalities in this regard have been completed and JD(U) secretary general KC Tyagi has even approached the Election Commission apprising the apex election management body about the development.
“Marandiji was in Patna yesterday and called on Nitish Kumar. They have settled the merger finally. It is now certain that a new party comprising JD(U), JVM and RlD would be formed at national as well as regional levels,” Tyagi told The Pioneer over phone from New Delhi on Wednesday.
He also hinted that the new political outfit that was the dream of Nitish Kumar since the last lok Sabha election when he had approached regional stalwarts from Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal and others to counter the surging BJP, would be known as ‘Jan Vikas Party’. “Final call is yet to be taken but this name suits all. The effort is not going to stop here and we are open to new entrants willing to take on the BJP collectively,” added the senior JD(U) leader.
Talking about Jharkhand politics, Tyagi said that the JVM supremo would be the face of the new party in the State. “There are several similarities between Nitish Kumar and Babulal Marandi as both are widely acceptable leaders with identical working style. Their image is also clean among the people. The new party would contest polls under Marandiji’s leadership in Jharkhand,” he said.
However, when asked about the role of the lalu Prasad’s RJD in this new dispensation, Tyagi termed it an ‘obvious friend’. “Our alliance with RJD in Bihar would remain as it is. They would not be a part of the new party and instead we would forge a grand alliance by brining in RJD, Congress and other likeminded parties together,” Tyagi added.
Efforts to contact JVM principal general secretary Pradeep Yadav, who had also accompanied Marandi to Patna, failed but the party senior leader KK Poddar confirmed the consultation. “It has been decided that a new party would be carved out by merging the three parties with a motto to counter the BJP and present an alternate before the electorates. JVM has reached to the conclusion that considering the unconstitutional acts of the BJP it is necessary to come together,” said the leader.
The party also believes that the merger would not dilute the image of the JVM among people of Jharkhand as it identifies itself with Marandi in the State. “State unit of the new party would be in place and with Marandiji as number two into it after Nitish Kumar, we don’t see any compromise in front of the voters. JD(U) cadres would work in tandem with JVM,” said Poddar.
The decision to merge the decade old party and shed its name and logo is apparently due to its former and elected legislators jettisoning it midway to join the BJP in Jharkhand. The JVM has lost eight of sitting MlAs before the 2015 Assembly polls and went on conceding further with six more after the results are out.
“They have been poaching on our MlAs and cadres and always in the violation of the Constitution. But the decision to merge the party is not out of any fear. Their intensions are wrong and we have to counter those,” said Poddar.