Patna, Nov 08: Notwithstanding the Samata Party leadership's attempt to mollify dissidents by revoking the expulsion of two MPs and two MLAs of Bihar, its rebel MP Raghunath Jha today deprecated the merger with JD (U) accusing Railway Minister Nitish Kumar of having signed a 'death warrant' for the party. "Nitish kumar has signed a death warrant for the party by facilitating its merger with the JD(U). The decision was taken in a dictatorial manner without taking party MPs and MLAs in confidence," Jha, one of the two MPs whose expulsion was revoked by party president and Defence Minister George Fernandes last Thursday, told mediapersons. Questioning the rationale of the merger, Jha said, Samata Party would never benefit from it.
"Our experience shows that despite electoral alliance in the past, not a single JD(U) vote in Lok Sabha and assembly elections was transferred to Samata candidates while our supporters overwhelmingly voted for JD(U) nominees," he said. Asked if he and his MP colleague from Munger, Brahmanand Mandal, would join JD(U) after Samata's formal merger or still seek to retain Samata identity, Jha, a former state party president, said "as of now our expulsion from Samata party has been taken back. "We will consult our supporters including nearly a dozen district unit presidents in Bihar before taking a decision. We cannot be forced to merge with JD(U)."
Bureau Report