Kerala's SJD merges with JD-U

The Socialist Janata Democratic (SJD), a constituent of Kerala's ruling UDF, Sunday merged with the Sharad Yadav-led Janata Dal-United.

At a public meeting held here, Yadav along with former Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar welcomed SJD supremo and media baron M.P.Veerendra Kumar into their fold.

"The BJP government is in the process of creating a divide in the country and if the government goes forward to erect statues of (Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram) Godse, then it's going to be a challenge," said Yadav on the occasion.

The ground was cleared for the merger after Veerendra Kumar met Yadav in Delhi this September.

The SJD was formed in 2009 when Kumar, along with his supporters, broke away from the Janata Dal- Secular after he was not fielded again from the Kozhikode Lok Sabha seat in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls by the CPI-M led Left Democratic Front (LDF).

The JD-S was a full fledged constituent of the LDF but when Kumar along with his supporters crossed over to the Congress-led United Democratic Front, a faction remained with the LDF and continues to exist.

The SJD has two legislators in the Kerala Assembly - K.P.Mohanan, who is also the state agriculture minister, while Kumar's son, M.V.Shreyams Kumar is the other one.