“Need opposition unity to fight BJP,” says Sharad; merges party with RJD

The Loktantrik Janata Dal ( LJD) led by former MP and minister Sharad Yadav merged with the Rashtriya Janata Dal( RJD) at a simple event in New Delhi on Sunday with both leaders of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and the veteran socialist laying stress on forming opposition unity to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

PATNA: The Loktantrik Janata Dal ( LJD) led by former MP and minister Sharad Yadav merged with the Rashtriya Janata Dal( RJD) at a simple event in New Delhi on Sunday with both leaders of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav and the veteran socialist laying stress on forming opposition unity to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

LJD leader Sharad Yadav with RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)

“ Opposition unity is imperative across India to fight the BJP. My party’s merger with the RJD is the first step in this direction. We will now work to unite all the opposition parties as defeating BJP is a big challenge,” Yadav told reporters before his party merged with RJD.

Yadav said he had taken the decision of merging his outfit with RJD as he was previously a part of the old Janata Dal pariwar and at present, the need of the hour is to unite all opposition parties. He also praised Tejashwi calling him the future leader of Bihar. “In the coming elections in Bihar, he would come victorious. He would work for opposition unity across the country,” he said.

The seven-time MP, Yadav, 74, had formed LJD in 2018 after JD(U) had realigned with BJP. In post Mandal politics, Yadav was one of the prominent faces of old Janata Dal pariwar before its split in 1997. Yadav had fought against Lalu Prasad from Madhepura in the 2004 parliamentary polls and lost.

Incidentally, Tejashwi in his speech thanked the veteran socialist for reposing faith in him and emphasized that communal forces could be ousted when all socialists come on a common platform. “ From 2019, we have started preparations for the next general polls. The merger of Sharad Yadav’s party with us will give strength. There is now a need to unite all regional parties in the opposition,” he said.

Asserting that there is an environment of hatred brewing in the country, the opposition leader said those talking against unemployment, inflation are being suppressed in an oblique dig at the BJP. He also accused chief minister Nitish Kumar of showing disrespect to constitutional posts like Speaker of the state assembly and failing to get his demand of special status category fulfilled despite being in power with BJP.

“ Is CM Kumar asking for special status from Russian President Vladimir Putin? His allies are in government at the Centre. The government is not doing governance but doing circus in Bihar,” he said. Significantly, the merger of LJD with RJD has stoked speculation that Sharad Yadav might be sent to Rajya Sabha in the coming biennial polls for the upper house of Parliament against five vacancies from Bihar. Insiders in the RJD also feel the elevation of Sharad to the upper house would give RJD some traction among its core Yadav voters ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. It is also believed the veteran leader who is a prominent socialist face with proximity with left leaders could help RJD form a coalition with regional parties.

Nawal Kishore Choudhary, a political analyst and former principal of Patna College, maintained that Sharad’s merger with the RJD had little significance except that the principal opposition party would get a boost to its image of bringing in old socialists and Yadav leaders under its banner. “ Sharad Yadav is an individual and his party’s merger with RJD is not of much value. Since RJD lacks tall leaders, especially those having a national identity, hence it is keen on using Sharad’s image to cater to his Yadav vote bank and also play a role in opposition unity,” he said.