Sharad Yadav merges his party Loktantrik Janata Dal with Lalu Prasad`s RJD

Speaking about the merger with Lalu Prasad Yadav`s Rashtriya Janata Dal, Sharad Yadav said that this is the first step towards opposition unity.

New Delhi: With the aim to revive the former united Janata Dal, veteran leader Sharad Yadav merged his party Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Sunday (March 20). 

Speaking about the merger, the former Union Minister said that this is the first step towards opposition unity. 

“Merger of our party with RJD is first step towards opposition unity. It's imperative that whole opposition gets united across India to defeat BJP.  As of now, unification is our priority, it'll be only after that we would think about who'll lead the united opposition,” Yadav said. This merger marks Yadav joining hands with Lalu Prasad after over three decades. 

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "The decision (merging of LJD into RJD) taken by Sharad Yadav was the demand of the people. It has given a message to other opposition parties that it's high time, we should have united in 2019 but better late than never." 

Announcing the merger on March 16, Sharad Yadav had said, "This step (merger) has been necessitated as an initiative of my regular efforts for bringing together scattered Janata parivar in view of the current political situation in the country.” 

In 1997, RJD chief Lalu Prasad had left Janata Dal to float his own party following his differences with its leadership as the probe against fodder scam, in which he was a main accused, intensified. Sharad Yadav was seen as Lalu Yadav's rival within the Janata Dal. Sharad Yadav had later allied with Nitish Kumar Kumar to end RJD's 15-year rule in Bihar in 2005.