Janata Parivar merger likely by February: Deve Gowda

'Parties will have one name, symbol and ideology'

JD(S) National President and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has said that the process of merger of Janata Parivar is likely to take place by February. 

The JD(S) has no objections to change the name of the party. The process of merger will be materialised at the earliest.  

Speaking to mediapersons here on Friday, he said that there is no much difference between previous and current Lok Sabha. In last Lok Sabha session, 19 Bills were passed without discussion and in this winter session 18 Bills have been passed.

At present, Janata Parivar has only 15 MPs in Lok Sabha and it is very difficult to raise a voice in the House. “Before the February session of the Parliament, we intend to merge. We have decided to work unitedly in a recently concluded  meeting,” he said.

With the merger, the strength of the Janata Parivar in the Lok Sabha will go up to 15. If the Biju Janata Dal too joins hands, then the strength will be 35, and will make  Janata Parivar the third largest party in the Lok Sabha, he said.  

Modi vs Vajpayee   

During the winter session of the Parliament, reconversion issue wasted five days of the session in Lok Sabha and two days in Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister failed to answer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who thinks about the development of the nation should be more responsible, he said. “Modi should remember that he is the Prime Minister of the country and not of the BJP.  Vajpayee never behaved like Modi and took everyone along.”  

“Modi's silence is sending wrong message to the country.  Modi should make his stand clear on conversion issue. If he continues to be the Prime Minister of BJP alone, then it would be dangerous,” he added.

On State BJP's agitation against ‘tainted’ ministers, the former PM said that the State BJP leaders have no moral right to speak about corruption. They should touch their own heart first. If they do it for publicity, then people will not believe them. They should know what their leaders have done in the  past.

The former PM said that he will obey the Court's direction on the JD(S) office at Race Course road in Bengaluru. “Symbol is enough for the party. However, I had stayed there for the last 43 years. I have not committed any misappropriation, so I will fight the battle. I have applied for a site with BDA and waiting for reply from past four and half months. Anyhow, I will vacate the office by December 31 as per the Court's direction,” he said.

Former minister Amarnath Shetty and others were present.