After the Bihar ruling party >Janata Dal (United) making strong pitch for merger with Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha of Babulal Marandi, now the Lok Janshakti Party, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), all NDA allies in Bihar, have started process to merge into a single party.
LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan, RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha and HAM (S) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi even had a meeting to mull over the likely merger of their parties on Monday afternoon.
The meeting was held at the farm house of HAM(S) leader and former minister Brishan Patel at Nagwan village under Paterhi Belsar block of Vaishali district.
LJP vice-President and party MP from Jamui seat Chirag Paswan too was present in the meeting which went over two hours.
Though, the leaders of these parties did not say anything on record on the merger issue but HAM(S) leader, Brishan Patel, later told The Hindu that “when all smaller parties are merging with each other it should not be surprising if we too merger and become one party”.
On Tuesday, LJP leader Satyanand Sharma too confirmed that all three parties have started the process of the merger “to become more effective voice” in the political set-up.
The leaders, however, emphatically said that they would remain with the NDA.
LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan and RLSP president Upendra Kushwaha are Union Ministers in Narendra Modi’s cabinet.
In the last State Assembly poll in 2015, the LJP got just two seats while the RLSP had won three and HAM(S) could manage just one seat.
The state BJP leaders, however, said all parties had their own agenda to pursue and the BJP had nothing to do on the issue.
Earlier, the ruling party Janata Dal (United) has declared that the merger process with Rashtriya Lok Dal of Ajit Singh of Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha of Babulal Marandi in Jharkhand are in advance stage.
