The State committee of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) will take a final call on its merger with the Janata Dal (Secular) in Kozhikode on May 24.
Although the leaders of both the socialist entities, which are part of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), have worked out some modalities for their merger, a section led by lone legislator K.P. Mohanan of LJD is opposing the move. Mr. Mohanan, it is learnt, wanted his party’s State unit to merge with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) as done by its national leadership.
Several rounds of talks held between the leaders of LJD and the JD(S), including the recent one in Kochi on May 12, decided on sharing the posts of vice president, State secretary-general, national general secretary, and district presidents.
However, the main bone of contention was the future political affinity and electoral alignment of the JD(S) led by H.D.Deve Gowda, especially in Karnataka. Many leaders anticipate that the JD (S), which was losing ground in the State, would forge an alliance with the BJP, sources said, recalling the past experiences when the party led by the late M.P. Veerendrakumar merged with Janata Dal (United).
So, a merger with RJD, having a presence in Bihar and Jharkhand, and now de facto led by Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, was considered a better deal. Besides, the Left parties were part of the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) in Bihar. The decision of LJD State president M.V. Shreyams Kumar was also crucial in this regard, the sources said.
Senior LJD leaders, who are firmly committed to the amalgamation with JD(S) are more optimistic about returning to the parent party. They said that the party would cross that bridge in an event of prophesied JD(S)- BJP electoral tie-up actually happening before the Karnataka assembly polls next year, the sources said.
The JD(S) with two legislators has got a berth in the second Pinarayi Vijayan Ministry while the LJD failed to get inducted into the cabinet. The LJD, which contested three sitting seats of the LDF in the assembly polls of 2021 emerged victorious only in the Koothuparamba segment.
