New Delhi,Nov 7: With an aim of forming an effective counterweight to the Narendra Modi-led BJP, stalwarts of the Janata Parivar such as Sharad Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav and H D Deve Gowda on Thursday met at the residence of SP chief Mulayam Singh’s residence and decided to merge their outfits into a single party.
The leaders also decided to work together in Parliament by adopting common stand and confront the BJP.
“We will convene one more meeting to discuss the future form. It can lead towards unity and forming one party,” Nitish Kumar told reporters after the lunch meeting hosted by the SP president. He said the parties present at Thursday’s meeting have decided to pool their strength and take unified stand in Parliament.
Kumar said the leaders at the meeting discussed the “political situation” in the country. “We will talk to all the like-minded parties including the Left and seek their cooperation,” he added.
He said the purpose of the meeting was to unite the Janata Parivar parties who share similar views on key issues.
While the meeting did not take up the issue of allying with the Congress, Kumar said there was discussion about approaching regional parties such as Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.
He said the Parivar parties would confront Modi on black money, unemployment and minimum support price for farm produce, saying that the Modi government has backtracked on its poll promises.
He said the BJP promised to bring black money and distribute it to the poor, but “now they say they do not have details of the amount.’ In all, six parties attended the lunch meeting at the SP chief’s residence –RJD, JD(U), JD(S), INLD and Samajwadi Janata Party, besides SP. All of them trace their origin from the Janata Dal led by V P Singh in the 1980s.
Besides the key leaders, Dushyant Chautala (INLD), Ramgopal Yadav, Shiv Gopal Yadav(SP), KC Tyagi (JDU), Kamal Morarka (SJP) and Preemchand Gupta(RJD ) were also present at Thursday’s meeting.
The Left, meanwhile, has welcomed the decision by the social parties to unite. “They witnessed more divisions...we will work on key issues,” CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said.
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