Janata Parivar has a new slogan: New year, new party

According to sources, the meeting ended on this note: “Naya saal, nayi party (new year, new party)”.

The reunion at Mulayam’s house in Delhi. (Source: Express photo)

Twenty-four years after a similar grouping of political forces under V P Singh split into pieces, the Janata Parivar is joining hands once again to form a new party.

Led by Mulayam Singh Yadav this time, the Samajwadi Janata Dal is expected to take shape early next year with the merger of Samajwadi Party, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), Lalu Prasad’s RJD, H D Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (S) and SJP.

With Narendra Modi’s BJP expected to pose a serious threat in the Bihar Assembly elections in 2015, and the UP polls coming up two years after, the basic contours of the new entity was put in place during a lunch hosted at Mulayam’s house in Delhi Thursday that was attended by all the leaders heading the parties that will soon merge into one.

According to sources, the meeting ended on this note: “Naya saal, nayi party (new year, new party)”. Om Prakash Chautala’s Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), which was represented at the meeting by Dushyant Chautala, has sought time to consider the merger, while Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh was left out because he was still a member of the Congress-led UPA.

According to sources, Mulayam was chosen to head the new front for two main reasons: His seniority, and the fact that his party rules over the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh.

The sources added that this decision was finalised by Deve Gowda, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar and his party colleague Sharad Yadav, and Dushyant Chautala after previous attempts at forming any such entity were stalled by Mulayam’s reluctance to sacrifice his own party’s identity.

Apparently, Gowda was offered the post first but declined citing his ill-health and inability to travel frequently. The Karnataka veteran, however, did appear keen on securing an important position in the new equation for his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Story continues below this ad

The sources said that the next big question — a final arrangement between Nitish and Lalu — would be sorted out in the form of a compromise that will ensure adequate representation for the RJD strongman’s family in any future state government. Lalu, of course, is ineligible for an elected position due to his conviction in the fodder scam.

It was also agreed at the meeting that candidates would be selected in Bihar purely on electoral calculations and not loyalty to any family because of the seriousness of BJP’s challenge.

The one surprise to emerge from the meeting was the decision that “social justice” will no longer be the main slogan of this grouping, mainly because a consolidation of pro-Mandal forces would not work in today’s context, especially with Modi coming from an OBC segment. The focus, the leaders agreed, will be on general issues.

To begin with, this group will work as a single bloc in both Houses, taking on the BJP aggressively during the winter session on the Land Acquisition Act, enhancement of FDI in insurance and dilution of NREGA. They might also co-ordinate on the floor with the Congress and the Left parties.

Story continues below this ad

At present, counting the INLD, this new political alignment has 15 Lok Sabha seats (SP: 5; RJD: 4; JDU: 2; JDS: 2 and and INLD: 2) and 25 Rajya Sabha seats (JDU: 12; SP: 10; JDS: 1; RJD: 1 and INLD: 1).

Also, in a show of strength, the leaders plan to organise “a big demonstration” outside Parliament as part of a “Vaada Nibhao Divas” to highlight the BJP’s “failure” to fulfill its electoral promises.