JOIN USThe merger of six Janata Parivar entities may take some time to formalise as the parties are yet to decide on the name and symbol of the new avatar.
However, it is certain that the new party will have Samajwadi and Janata words in its name.
As far as symbol is concerned, the new party may opt for the wheel, the symbol of the undivided Janata Dal.
Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav, RJD president Lalu Prasad and JD-S leader H D Deve Gowda will meet on Sunday to decide on all these issues. The Indian National Lok Dal (Chautala) and Samajwadi Janata Party will take part in the meet.
“We have decided to merge our parties and there is no obstacle in it. However, technicalities are there and they may take some time. We have to finalise the name of the new party and its election symbol,” said a top functionary of one of the Janata Parivar parties. The new party’s name and symbol need approval from the Election Commission of India.
Sources say there is no dispute over the name and symbol, and all the leaders have expressed willingness to adopt one of the symbols of the existing parties. However, it could give rise to practical difficulties.
“The SP’s bicycle has been suggested as the election symbol of the proposed party, and no one has any objection to it. However, the fact remains that the bicycle is the election symbol of the Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP, too, and cannot be the symbol of a national-level party,” a senior Janata Parivar leader told Deccan Herald.
“We may have to focus on other symbols. It would be better if we could get wheel, the symbol of undivided Janata Dal. The symbol was frozen in 1999 after the Janata Dal split. Since old constituents are merging, the symbol could be revived,” said a leader .
Leaders are unanimous over retaining both Samajwadi and Janata words in the name of the new party. “We have to choose from one of the two names that have been proposed in our meetings. The two names which have been proposed are Samajwadi Janata Party and Samajwadi Janata Dal. We have to select from these two names,” said a leader.