The Hindu : Samata, JD(U) merger likely this week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 28, 2003

National

National

Samata, JD(U) merger likely this week

By Gargi Parsai

New Delhi Oct. 27. The Samata Party and the Janata Dal(U) are likely to merge this week, with the Indian National Lok Dal coming on board but without giving up its independent identity. After the merger, both parties are likely to contest Assembly elections as one. The Bharatiya Janata Party has welcomed the move.

There are indications that the JD(U) chief, Sharad Yadav, will be the `working president', if not the president, of the unified party. The Samata leader, George Fernandes, remains the convener of the National Democratic Alliance.

While modalities such as what the merged party would be called and what would be its election symbol are being worked out, both the parties said that "there are no differences'' on these scores.

The INLD leader, Om Prakash Chautala, has indicated that he would be a part of such a move, but without losing his party's identity and without merger. Obviously, parties such as the INLD, the BJD and the JD(S), which were stronger in States, would not like to lose their strongholds with a merger.

Sources said Mr. Fernandes and Mr. Yadav were independently in touch with smaller "like-minded'' Janata pariwar parties to join in.

Between themselves, the Samata and the JD(U) have 18 members in the Lok Sabha, including the Samata's Raghunath Jha and Brahmanand Mandal who had been expelled from the party but whose expulsion order had not been forwarded to the Speaker.

It is expected that two expelled members of the Biju JD (BJD), and Dilip Ray (also of the BJD but who later became independent), three members of the breakaway RJD (Democratic) and two members of Captain Nishad's Janata Party (Jayaprakash) would merge, taking the numbers to 26.

Reports said the Trinamool Congress had also been invited to come on board. While obviously the move is to spread out the areas of influence and enhance the collective bargaining power of the smaller parties within the NDA alliance, it is also an attempt by the Samata and the JD(U) which were facing dissidence within their respective Parliamentary wings to pre-empt the possibility of a split. The Samata, whose area of influence is restricted to Bihar, will gain an all-India presence.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National