Yadav said the Congress was an alliance partner of the RJD in his state, Bihar, but the party would be with the CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala.
Published Oct 13, 2023 | 1:00 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 13, 2023 | 1:00 PM
An image from the function held in Kozhikode. (X)
Declaring that it was not ready to compromise with communal forces in the country, the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), an ally of the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, merged with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
At a convention held at the MK Premnath Nagar in Kozhikode on the evening of Thursday, 12 October, the LJD, led by its president MV Shreyams Kumar, adopted a resolution declaring the merger of the two socialist parties.
The resolution was adopted in the presence of RJD leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. With this, all state units of LJD are part of RJD. The Gujarat and Bihar chapters had merged with the RJD last year.
Shreyams Kumar said it was a “well thought out decision” that took some time due to the past experiences of the party.
He said it was a unanimous decision of the LJD to merge with the RJD as it was not ready to compromise with communal forces in the country.
Both Yadav and Kumar said that the newly merged entity would be part of the LDF in the state. The existing state committee of the RJD was dissolved ahead of the merger.
Yadav said the Congress was an alliance partner of the RJD in his state, Bihar, but the party would be with the CPI(M)-led LDF in Kerala.
Kumar said that the merger was not one which would be undone in future and they would be holding the RJD flag for generations to come. He alleged that the BJP rules the country by making people and religions fight each other.
He said that the INDIA bloc aims to change this approach as democracy, the judiciary and every constitutional authority “is under threat”.
Stating that Bihar has played a stellar role in Indian politics, Kumar praised the RJD for carrying out the caste-based survey in that state.
Yadav also criticised the way the Union government intended to implement women’s reservation, alleging that the BJP’s dishonesty was there for everyone to see.
“We don’t know when will it see the light of day. But, we, the partners of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance promise you that as soon as we come to power at the Centre, we shall address all the shortcomings in the Bill,” he said.
Yadav, expressing happiness with the merger, said that both the RJD and LJD “have fought the good fight for equality and social justice”.
The Deputy chief minister of Bihar, addressing the thousands of LJD workers and supporters who were carrying RJD flags at the convention, said that his party laid the foundation for the INDIA bloc by inviting all the Opposition political parties to a conference in Patna.
He said that historically, socialist parties were divided by ideological differences which led to factionalism and weakened their collective action. “The merger and unity like this can help bridge the divides, promote collaboration and prevent internal conflicts that might undermine the overall goals of socialism,” Yadav said.
He said this unity of the two parties would help to present a more formidable and coherent position.
“Our merger and unity will help broaden the appeal of socialist ideas and policies. In today’s India, we need it urgently,” Yadav said.
Referring to the BJP rule at the Centre, Yadav said the country was facing multiple challenges and “the most important one was from fascism which is the true character of the Indian government”.
He alleged the BJP had hijacked all constitutional authorities and agencies in the country and called upon everyone to resist and fight back.
Yadav said that the saffron party was worried over the caste-based survey carried out in Bihar after its results were released on 2 October. “It (BJP) does not know how to deal with it,” he said.
Yadav further said that together with the chief minister of Bihar “we shall write a new script for inclusive development while addressing the core concern of representation in proportion to the population”.
Yadav also came down on the Union government, alleging that an unannounced Emergency was in force in the country with the agencies targeting all those who spoke the truth and sought answers from the government.
“Whether you are a politician, a social activist, whether you are from the media, an artist or sportsperson, everyone is getting raided by the agencies,” he said.
He pointed out that during an election campaign meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he would not side with corrupt people.
“But, then what about Ajit Pawar, Mukul Roy, and who is the CM of Assam? They were tainted before. Now they are like Raja Harischandra,” he wondered.
After concluding his speech, Yadav handed over the RJD flag and membership to Kumar and other leaders of the LJD.
Prior to the event, Yadav said in a press conference that the merger between RJD and LJD would fortify the party’s standing in southern India, conveying a robust message to socialist factions across the nation.
More than 7,000 LJD workers from throughout the state attended the event.
Sharad Yadav and the late MP Veerendra Kumar, father of Shreyams Kumar, had formed LJD in 2018 after splitting from Janata Dal-United led by Nitish Kumar, over his decision to join with BJP-led NDA bloc.
