New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday said the Janata Parivar merger will help in the possibilities of a strong opposition.
"We are having continuous discussions on this merger and hope it will be officially announced today. Mulayam Singhji authorised for this it. The merger will help in the possibilities of a strong opposition," Kumar told media persons.
The six parties that till now comprised the 'Janata Parivar' have agreed to unify and create a new political front which will be called the 'Samajwadi Janata Party'.
Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal, Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party, Om Prakash Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), and H.D. Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) will come under the umbrella of the Samajwadi Janata Party.
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the new political front's president.
The SJP will have the bicycle and a red and green flag as their symbols.
Reports said Nitish Kumar will be the chief ministerial candidate of the newly floated political outfit for the upcoming assembly polls in Bihar.
Mulayam Singh Yadav will be the leader of the group in the Lok sabha, while JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav will lead it in the Rajya Sabha.
Currently, the Samajwadi Party has five seats in the Lok Sabha, 15 in the Rajya Sabha and 232 in the 403 member state Assembly. It is also in power in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The RJD has four Lok Sabha members and one in the Rajya Sabha, while the JD (U) has two in the Lok Sabha and 12 in the Rajya Sabha.
The Janata Dal-Secular has two seats in the Lok Sabha and one in the Rajya Sabha, while INLD has two members in the Lower House and one in the Upper House of the Parliament.
In total, the SJP will have strength of 15 members in the Lower House and 30 in the Upper House.
Polls in Bihar are scheduled to be held later this year, whereas elections in Uttar Pradesh are slated for 2017.
