Janata Pariwar ready to merge: Lalu Yadav

Patna: The eagerly awaited grand merger of six Janata Pariwar party will soon become one with new name and symbol. A resolution in this regard was passed by the members of Rastriya Janata Dal on Sunday during their National Executive meeting in Patna.

RJD supremo Lalu Yadav said that the merger of the Janata Pariwar has entered its final stage, adding that Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav would soon make a final announcement in the next meeting. Yadav added that the process of merger has ended on a positive note.

“Everything has been taken care of we are getting into a merger and the date for merger will be announced by Mulayam Singh Yadav anytime soon,” RJD Chief Lalu Yadav said in Patna during the national executive meeting.

The Samajwadi Party held a meeting of all its units in Lucknow last week and passed a resolution agreeing to the merger. A similar resolution was passed in Patna on Sunday by the Rashtriya Janata Dal under the leadership of Lalu Prasad, while the JD (U) is likely to go through the same procedure on April 8.

The Indian National Lok Dal, the JD(S) and the Samajwadi Janata Party will also pass internal resolutions agreeing to dissolve their separate identities and forming one party. Sources in RJD said that Lalu Yadav during the meeting faced little resentment from few of their party leaders including Member of Parliament Pappu Yadav but majority of the members who were present in the meeting agreed to the grand merger. Sources added, Pappu Yadav was still not convinced and continued to oppose the merger of RJD into Janata Pariwar.

“The name and symbol of a new party of the Janata Pariwar constituents will be announced at a meeting in New Delhi by Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav’s residence”, said Lalu.

According to Lalu and other RJD leaders, Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the chairman and the new merged party will be named as Samajwadi Janata Party.

“I can’t announce everything from here. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav has been authorized to announce the merger and other details, which he will do very soon in New Delhi during a meeting which will be attended by all the parties who are merging”, said Lalu.

Sources said the symbol of the new party is still to be finalized. All the parties however have zeroed in on two symbols “the wheel” which used to be the symbol of old janata party and “the cycle” symbol which is currently being used by Samajwadi party.

Meanwhile the sources said that a similar meeting was held at the residence of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s house which was attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD (U) national President Sharad Yadav and JD (U) General secretary KC Tyagi the representatives of Indian Natioanl Lok Dal and a senior representative from JD (S).