With the confusion deepening over the janata parivar, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar on Monday clarified that the merger chapter was still not closed and technical issues could be sorted out by convening a meeting of the six-member core committee.
“The chapter is still not closed and if there are some technical issues I would suggest Mulayam Singh to convene a meeting of the six-member merger committee to clear the air,” said Mr. Kumar, on the sidelines of his weekly janata durbar. He said there should be an end to the public debate over the issue.
Earlier, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had ruled out the possibility of the janata parivar merger before the Bihar Assembly elections on the grounds of technical issues while Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad had supported it.
Mr. Ram Gopal Yadav is a member of the core committee along with heads of five other parties whereas SP chief Mulayam Singh is chairman of the panel.
However, Mr. Kumar said there was no question of going back on the merger issue. “The merger is complete and Mulayam Singh has been declared its head. There is no question of going back on it,” he said.
He recited a Hindi couplet meaning when the time comes everything would be fine.
Supporting the SP leader, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had said that if there were some technical issues coming in the way of merger, “we would have an alliance to contest the coming Assembly poll.”
On Monday, when asked about Mr. Ram Gopal Yadav’s statement, Mr. Kumar said those were his personal views and advisory in nature. “And, it was not the statement of his party,” clarified Mr. Kumar.
