Combined strength of the new entity could give a tough time to the BJP in Rajya Sabha to get through several of its legislations
The six constituents of Janata Parivar declared their official merger on Thursday by naming Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav as the chairman of the new nameless entity.
Declaring the merger as official, veteran JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav said, "All six constituents of Janata Parivar –SP, JDU, JDS, INLD, RJD and SJP have unanimously chosen Mulayam Singh Yadav as the leader of the new party. He will also be the head of the parliamentary board."
Taking a dig at the Modi government, Mulayam Singh said, "This is first government which never consulted opposition. Communal forces have become really haughty and that is the reason why we have united. We will not only defeat them in coming elections in Bihar but also in other states."
The meeting also constituted seven member parliamentary board under Mulayam Singh - HD Deve Gowda, Ramgopal Yadav, OP Chautala, Lalu Yadav, Sharad Yadav and Kamal Morarka to decide on new party's name, symbol and basic aims and objectives.
The occasion was marred during initial minutes by slogan shouting activists of the Sangh Parivar who landed at the venue, Mualyam Singh Yadav's house, where no cadre of the Janata Parivar was present.
Their appearance was indicative of BJP getting restive because of the merger, which is banking on its Lok Sabha performance reflecting in the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections.
The constituents of Janata Parivar and the Congress together had captured a vote-share of nearly 45 per cent while the BJP got 37 per cent. The split in the Opposition votes had given an advantage to the BJP, which swept the state.
However, on the face of it, the BJP was dismissive of the merger saying it concerned only "parivar (families)" and not "Janata (people)". Dubbing it as an idea that will fail, the BJP dubbed it as anti-poor and anti-dalit.
"They have misled the poor and the farmers. They are anti-dalit because they are opposing the land bill which will ensure employment to them," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.
The combined strength of the new entity in the Rajya Sabha could give a tough time to the BJP to get through several of its legislations, including the land bill. In Rajya Sabha, SP leads the pack with 15 members while JD-U has 12 and INLD, JD(S) and RJD one MP each. Their total number in the Upper House is 30. While, in Lok Sabha SP has five members followed by RJD with four MPs while JD-U, JD(S) and INLD each has two members, giving the grouping a total of 15 members in the Lower House.
In Parliament, Mulayam could be the leader of the new group in Lok Sabha while Sharad Yadav could be named its leader in Rajya Sabha. Curiously, leading face of the SP, Ramgopal Yadav was absent at the meeting and the leaders present did not take any questions from the media that was eager to know the reason of his absence.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}