A day after Bihar was agog with talks of likely merger of Rashtriya Janata Dal with ruling party Janata Dal (United), RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday proposed the move while senior JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar denied any such plan between the two parties.
“Yes, the discussion on merger between the two parties are going on and I’m not ruling it out”, said Mr. Prasad in Jharkhand. When asked how long it will take to be formalised, he said he was busy in poll campaign in Jharkhand these days.
Senior JD(U) leader and former chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is on his 17-day-long Samprak Yatra (contact tour) said that there was no such move.
“Yes, there is a move of bringing the old janata parivar together and still there is a lot to be done on this. But, there is no such plan for the merger of two parties”, he said while putting an end on the speculation over likely merger of RJD and JD(U).
Earlier on Monday, RJD leader Bhagwan Singh Kushwaha and Transport Minister Ramai Ram had fuelled speculation on the likely merger between the two parties “instead of an alliance between them”.
“Instead of an alliance it will better that both the parties merge,” Mr Ram had said while Mr. Kushwaha had declared that the seeds have been sown for the merger “and now it will only have to grow and become adult”.
However, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi had expressed his ignorance on any such political development taking place.
Dismissing any rift between him and Mr. Kumar, Mr Manjhi on Tuesday said he has only one photograph in his house and that was of his party leader Nitish Kumar.
