New Delhi, Oct 30: Ahead of the elections, two Janata Parivar outfits, JD(U) and Samata Party, today merged under the banner of Janata Dal (United) to be headed by Samata Party chief and Defence Minister George Fernandes. The merger will be formalised at a meeting of the National Council of the parties on a date to be decided, for which a steering committee has been set up.
Announcing this at a crowded press conference, another senior Samata leader and Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said the unified party will retain Jd(U)'s symbol of 'arrow' and the 'white and green' flag of Samata.
He said Sharad Yadav, who was president of JD(U), will head the parliamnetary board of the new party, whose 18 MPs will choose their leader in parliament.
Replying to a volley of questions, Fernandes said efforts would be made to rope in other splinter groups of erstwhile Janata Parivar within the national democratic alliance (NDA).
However, O P Chautala-led INLD has decided not to merge its identity with the new party.
Bureau Report