After wrangling over the issue for more than three years, the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) has finally decided to reunite with its parent socialist entity the Janata Dal (Secular).
This was decided at a crucial meeting of the State committee and district presidents of the party here on Thursday. The merger of the two parties will take place with a rally shortly. “The modalities will continue with a seven-member committee already appointed by the party,“ LJD State president M.V. Shreyams Kumar told the media.
Although merger talks were held with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), he said the party unanimously agreed to merge with the JD(S) considering the political situation in the State. The party would remain united though some leaders had differences of opinion on the merger, he said.
On sharing the posts of office-bearers, Mr. Shreyams Kumar said that some decisions had already been taken during the initial stages of merger talks.
Asked whether the State president's post would be handed over to the JD(S), Mr. Kumar said the LJD's stand was that positions should not be an impediment to the merger of the two parties. "What is important is the way ahead for the socialist party. The merger is taking place without any conditions," he said.
However, party sources said the post of the State president would be held by Mathew T. Thomas, the incumbent State president of the JD(S). The posts of presidents in 14 districts would be equally shared between the two parties, they said.
The LJD would also submit a list of leaders for reconstituting the 14-member parliamentary board of the JD(S). The decision on the merger would be communicated to the JD(S) leadership and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) leadership.
With the merger of the two parties, the JD(S) will have three legislators in the Assembly and it will also become the fourth biggest party after the Communists Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Communist Party of India (CPI) and Kerala Congress (M) in the LDF fold.
The CPI(M) leadership has been mooting for a merger of the LJD and the JD(S) even before the Assembly polls last year. Multiple rounds of talks between leaders of both sides failed to reach a consensus on the merger.
