Janata Parivar: Election symbol a stumbling block

Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, who also attended the annual lunch at Lalu’s residence, was served food by the RJD chief himself.

RJD sources said that while SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is not convinced about relinquishing his party’s election symbol, the bicycle, other parties — JD(U), RJD, JD(S), INLD and SJP — can’t seem to agree on a common poll symbol.

“SP and INLD do not seem to be in a hurry for a merger, while RJD and JD(U) are showing urgency because Bihar is going to polls later this year,” said an RJD source. While a large section of the JD(U) and the RJD favours Nitish returning as CM, not everyone in the JD(U) is convinced about accepting Lalu’s eldest daughter Misa Bharti as deputy CM. JD(U) national spokesperson K C Tyagi, meanwhile, told The Indian Express, “We have intensified the merger process. There is some hitch over election symbol but it will be sorted out. As for Nitishji’s absence, can’t a person fall ill? Media takes political meaning out of everything.”