Even as a wrong message was going down to the cadres over the merger issue, both lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar have asserted separately that merger would take place and the party men need not worry. “Merger is certain and it will take place,” said former CM Nitish Kumar while RJD supremo lalu Prasad said, “Merger of the six parties is in process. We are uniting.”
Both the leaders made this declaration amid the reports that the merger process has hit hurdle and the top leaders of the Janata Parivar parties, particularly JD(U) and RJD, were developing cold feet. Some second rung leaders of both the parties even raised question over the utility of the merger and even went on to oppose any alliance between the two. The senior leaders of both the parties have agreed to sternly direct their party men not to make any statement. “Neither I nor Nitish take notice of such utterances. The six parties will merge and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav has been authorised to complete the formalities and accelerate the process,” lalu said. lalu rushed back to Patna on Friday evening after a lengthy meeting with JD(U) president Sharad Yadav in New Delhi.