RJD, JD-U will merge, say Lalu and Nitish

Patna/New Delhi, Jan 30 (IANS) Six "Janata Parivar" parties will certainly merge soon as there is no hurdle, former Bihar chief ministers Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad announced Friday.

In the wake of reports of unlikely merger of the Janata Dal-United and the Rashtriya Janata Dal ahead of the assembly polls in Bihar later this year, both JD-U leader Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad said merger was certain.

"Merger is certain, it will take place," Nitish Kumar told the media in Bihar's Aurangabad district. He said the "Janata Parivar" would again become one and a united force.

In New Delhi, the RJD chief said merger of the RJD and the JD-U will have take place. "There is no if and but, the RJD and the JD-U will merge," Lalu said.

Lalu said Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has been working for the merger of the six parties.

The six parties are the JD-U, RJD, Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal-Secular, Indian National Lok Dal and Samajwadi Janata Party.

Some JD-U and RJD leaders, including legislators, in the past two days have expressed their doubt over merger and few of them also questioned the need of the merger.