A merger of parties belonging to the “Janata Parivar” appears to be on the cards following a meeting between them at Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh’s residence here on Thursday.
While the parties resolved to work together inside and outside Parliament as a strong Opposition, former Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar told the media later: “We resolved today to work together and in the near future. There is a strong possibility we might merge and form one party.”
Those who gathered at Mr. Singh’s residence included Janata Dal (S) chief H.D. Deve Gowda, Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi Janata Party leader Kamal Morarka and Indian National Lok Dal MP Dushyant Chautala.
Sources at the meeting said during the discussions the Janata Parivar leaders agreed that it was imperative that they came together as the Congress had all but vacated the Opposition space. Sources said Mr. Singh also pointed out that on key economic issues, such as the Insurance Bill, the BJP and the Congress were usually together.
If a merger does take place, it is likely to be followed by the formation of a joint platform with other regional parties.
The trigger has been provided by the Assembly elections in Bihar and UP, where the JD(U) and the SP are currently in power. Assembly elections in Bihar are due next year and in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.
The meeting drew up an initial plan of action that will see its members campaign across the country on issues on which they hope to pin down the BJP on the electoral promises it made, such as bringing back black money, creating jobs and enhancing the minimum support price for crops.
Most of these parties had also campaigned for the INLD in Haryana during the just-concluded Assembly elections. They also attended a rally called by Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh in Meerut.
The Janata experiment: From The Hindu archives
October 21, 2014
>Janata Parivar losing its touch with Mandal politics
Finishes way behind in Haryana as the BJP outplays it in social engineering
October 2, 2014
>Signs of Janata Parivar taking shape
Though not a Third Front yet, there are signs that the Janata Parivar — and some of its old friends — shaken out of its lethargy by this year’s general election results, is tentatively working towards creating an anti-BJP platform.
August 21, 2010
>JD(S) all set to lure back Janata Parivar members
February 6, 2007
>Gowda blamed for breaking Janata Parivar
President of the Karnataka unit of the Janata Dal (U) B. Somashekar said that Janata Dal (S) president H.D. Deve Gowda, who was primarily responsible for the division of the Janata Parivar has no moral right to talk about uniting the Janata Parivar once again.
January 29, 2007
>JD(S) to work for unification of Janata Parivar: Deve Gowda
“I am willing to shed my ego, if any, and even step down from the presidentship of the party... ”
May 6, 2006
>Sharad Yadav vows to unite Janata Parivar
President of the Janata Dal (United) and former Union Minister Sharad Yadav said that he would make efforts to unite splinter groups of the Janata Dal, including the Janata Dal (Secular) headed by H.D. Deve Gowda.
April 14, 2004
>CPI(M) accuses Congress, BJP of keeping Janata Parivar divided
February 25, 2004
>Janata Parivar will come together: Swamy
Janata Party president, Subramanian Swamy, said that the decision of the All-India Progressive Janata Dal (AIPJD) to contest the elections on the JP symbol was the beginning of the coming together of the Janata Parivar to "revive the spirit of 1977 once again."
July 4, 2003
>JD(S), JD(U) agree to merge ‘unconditionally’
In a significant political development in Hassan, the leaders of the Janata Dal (Secular) and the JD (United) agreed to merge their parties at the Karnataka level.
January 4, 2003
>Pawar optimistic on merger of Janata Dal factions
The President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Sharad Pawar, has said that the consolidation of a third front was the need of the hour in the light of the poll outcome in Gujarat and the Congress's outlook in the recent elections.
December 1, 2001
>Efforts on to unite Janata ‘parivar’
Efforts to reunite various factions of the Janata Parivar — the Samata Party, the Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti — aligned with the National Democratic Alliance, have been intensified with an eye on the elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
January 8, 2001
>Janata parivar: Another split
The Samata Party, yet another splinter group that emerged out of the grand alliance of non-Congress forces — the Janata experiment — has split once again.
