The Hindu : Fresh efforts to re-unite JD factions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 17, 2002

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National

Fresh efforts to re-unite JD factions
By K.V. Prasad

NEW DELHI, MARCH 16. Efforts to re-unite various factions of the Janata Dal have begun with a group of MPs belonging to the Samata Party, the Janata Dal (United) and the Lok Janshakti holding a meeting here.

Ten MPs belonging to these parties met at the residence of the Lok Janshakti Party leader, Jai Narayan Prasad Nishad, last night and decided it was time to sit together and move forward.

There was also a suggestion that the parties could hold their national executive committee meetings to discuss the proposal. The unity move gained ground last year after the JD(U) and LJS leaders felt sidelined in the NDA. The three parties together have 22 members in the Lok Sabha.

Last December, at the instance of a three-member committee on unification, comprising Mr. Nishad, Ramjeevan Singh (JD-U) and Prabhunath Singha, leaders of the three parties, Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Ram Vilas Paswan (LJS), George Fernandes and Nitish Kumar (Samata) agreed in principle to come together. Since then not much progress has been made and, on the other hand, the recent Assembly elections in four States witnessed two of the three parties contesting against each another in a few constituencies.

Although a participant described the meeting as a continuation of last year's initiative, efforts to revive the unity move was seen as an effort to arrive at a consensus for coming elections to the Rajya Sabha, especially from Bihar. Differences among these parties resurfaced with the Samata fielding Vashisht Narain Singh, while the JD-U and the Lok Janshakti announced its support to the RJD rebel, Ranjan Prasad Yadav.

Apparently, the meeting remained inconclusive with members expressing dissatisfaction with the manner in which the BJP acted on the Ayodhya issue, without consulting the allies.

Among the MPs who attended were Samata's Prabhunath Singh, Raghunath Jha, Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Arun Kumar, Dayanand Sahay, Manjay Lal, Renu Kumari and JD(U)'s Ram Jeevan Singh and D.P. Yadav.

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