Janata Dal is dead, long live Janata Dal…

The amoeba, zoology books state, is ‘‘a single-celled organism which changes shape constantly.’’ A hydra, the dictionary...

The amoeba, zoology books state, is ‘‘a single-celled organism which changes shape constantly.’’ A hydra, the dictionary adds, is a mythological creature ‘‘with many heads that grew again if they were cut off.’’

Neither tells us what happens when the amoeba and the hydra mate, producing an entity that has a single cell, assumes new shapes every other day, and sprouts heads by the dozen. That fantastic creature has the generic name ‘‘Janata’’ and paraded itself in all its latest glory on the manicured lawns of Defence Minister George Fernandes’s spacious bungalow this evening.

Fernandes has lost his party but retained his presidentship. The Samata Party which he founded in 1994 is no more; it has become part of the Sharad Yadav-headed Janata Dal (United).

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But George wasn’t exactly in mourning. For one thing, he is now president of the JD(U). And second, he has lost and found so many parties in his political career (Socialist Party, Janata Party, Lok Dal, back to Janata Party, Janata Dal, Samata) that it’s become quite a habit. But Fernandes and his comrades from the ‘‘Janata Parivar’’ are no common defectors. They are forever on the move—coming together only to draw apart, ready to merge no sooner than they have split.

It’s the same cast of leaders that sprout again and again — the older lot beholden to Lohia and the younger to the JP movement. The two big moments of ‘‘merger’’ were in 1977 (Janata Party) and 1989 (Janata Dal), and left in their wake a plethora of parties sporting the tag Janata or Samajwadi or Lok. There were a dozen—Janata Dal (S), Janata Dal (U), Rashtriya Janata Dal, RJD (Democratic), Biju Janata Dal, Janata Party, Samajwadi Janata Party, Samajwadi Party, Lok Dal, INLD, Lok Janashakti Party, LJP (breakaway), and Samata. All from that single ‘‘socialist’’ cell.

Samata is no more, but no one will be surprised if JD(U) soon splits to form a JD(D), where D could stand for both divided and Devendra Prasad Yadav. Yadav, a JD(U) MP, has let it be known that he does not accept the latest merger because it was decided by the two party presidents without consulting the party.

Fernandes brushed aside this complaint saying that the ‘‘national councils’’ of the two parties would soon meet to ratify the merger. The leaders of the new party gave details of the nuptial agreement.

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The party would adopt the JD(U) name and symbol, and the Samata flag. Sharad Yadav is chairman of the parliamentary board, and the leader of the parliamentary party would be decided by the MPs—who now number 18.

Reporters asked questions, cracked jokes. And then a reporter got angry with a lensman for obstructing the view—and their slanging match threatened to turn into a fracas.

But another reporter put an end to that with the reprimand: Patrakar raho, Janata Dal mat bano (Behave like journalists, not the Janata Dal).

Even Nitish Kumar could not suppress a smile.

…And samata survives in
Baraiyya’s Samata Samaj

Expelled former MP BSP chief floats new outfit

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
BHOPAL, OCTOBER 30

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SURFACING after four days in hiding, expelled former Madhya Pradesh BSP chief Phool Singh Baraiyya today announced the formation of a new party — the Samata Samaj Party.

Baraiyya, alleging a threat to his life, today reiterated what is now common knowledge — that his differences with Mayawati stem from an understanding between Mayawati and Digvijay Singh.

‘‘Preparations were underway to help Digvijay form a government. I had insisted that we remain equidistant from the BJP and the Congress. The revenge against BJP for what it had done could have been taken without reaching an understanding with Digvijay Singh,’’ he said.

Baraiyya alleged that the cases filed against him in Gwalior regarding theft of election material and the subsequent raid at his residence were all done at Digvijay’s behest.

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He further alleged: ‘‘In this state, parents have to roam around for days before an FIR of their daughter’s rape is registered. But the case against me was registered within seconds and a raid took place at my house. Now, both Mayawati and Digvijay have hired goons to harm me and my cause.’’

Baraiyya claimed that as a result of his hard work — put in while campaigning across the state during the past four years — most of the bahujan samaj would support him. This is a crucial point as it has long been believed that a party like the BSP does not lose its support base despite a split. But this is yet to be tested in a case like that of Baraiyya, who commands a substantial personal following in the Gwalior Chambal area — a BSP stronghold.

How the equations work out could have an important impact on this election, which is why the BJP is watching carefully from the sidelines.

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