Samastipur: Amid talks of chance of merger of JD(U) and RJD to take on BJP, former chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday dismissed any such efforts and said instead attempts were being made for wider unity among parties of old Janata Parivar.
"There is no talk of merger of two parties – JD(U) and RJD...We are talking and working for achieving wider unity among parties of old Janata Parivar," Kumar told reporters.
"Efforts are on in this direction. As part of this effort we are talking to all parties to have common stand on issues coming in Parliament," Kumar, who is a prime mover of bringing splinters of old Janata Parivar under one umbrella, said while leaving the venue after addressing workers meeting as part of his 'Samparak Yatra' here.
Kumar said "there is a common view among leaders that we should fight election unitedly so that BJP does not take advantage of division of votes."
Kumar was present at the luncheon meeting at the house of Samajwadi Party Mulayam Singh Yadav recently along with former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his JD(U) counterpart Sharad Yadav and representative of INLD which supported wider unity among old Janata Parivar.
Kumar comment has come amid talks of chance of merger of JD(U) and RJD as voiced by some leaders of the two parties.
Senior Bihar minister Ramai Ram had yesterday strongly advocated merger of RJD and JD(U) and not an alliance to become a strong force to take on BJP.
"Vilay se majbooti ayegi gatbandhan me dhokhaghari hota hai (merger will provide strength because in alliance there is scope of betrayal), Ram had said.
Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has said these matters would be decided by senior leaders of the two parties like Sharad Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar.
RJD MLA Bhai Birendra said he would welcome merger from the core of heart.
RJD national Vice President and former Union minister Raghubansh Prasad Singh, however, did not give any seriousness of possibility of merger of JD(U) and RJD.
"From where such a talk about merger has come?" he said adding that he had no knowledge of any such efforts.
