JD(U) MLAs, MPs give green signal to merger

Days after RJD gave its nod for merger of splinter parties of erstwhile Janata Parivar, JD(U) has also given green signal to the merger process and authorised its President Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to carry the exercise ahead. JD(U) green signal to the merger was given at a meeting of MLAs, MLCs and MPs at the residence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar late on Wednesday. Sharad Yadav was not present in the meeting.

"All the Legislators and Parliamentarians unanimously welcomed the merger move and authorised JD(U) President Sharad Yadav and CM Nitish Kumar to carry the exercise ahead," Bihar Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shrawan Kumar said on Thursday.

Shrawan Kumar, a close aide of CM Nitish Kumar, told that Kumar briefed members about progress made so far in the process of merger and need for it to take on BJP. The participants urged the CM to speed up merger exercise to which Kumar told them that Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav has been authorised to call a meeting soon for formal announcement of merger of six parties into Janata Parivar.

The six parties involved in merger are --Samajwadi Party, RJD, JD(U), JD(S), INLD and Samajwadi Janata Party. 

RJD President Lalu Prasad has already announced approval of his party on merger after a national executive meeting of the party in Patna on last Sunday. Meanwhile, as the pace of merger is gathering momentum, a rebel JD(U) MLA Rajib Ranjan has faxed a letter to Chief Election Commissioner that he and a few other Legislators were unwilling to be part of merger and would like to remain in Janata Dal (United) itself.

In a letter faxed to CEC last evening on Wednesday, Ranjan, JD(U) MLA from Islampur in Nalanda district, requested him to order that the arrow symbol of JD(U) and its flag remain with the parent body. Ranjan, a fellow casteman of CM Nitish Kumar and who also hails from his native Nalanda district, has been siding with former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.