Kerala's SJD to merge with JD-U

The Socialist Janata Democratic (SJD), a constituent of Kerala's ruling coalition, will merge with the Sharad Yadav-led JD-U, it was announced Sunday.

Addressing reporters at Delhi, the Janata Dal-United chief Yadav and SJD supremo and media baron M.P. Veerendra Kumar said the details would be discussed and the merger would happen in Kerala.

"There will be a merger meet in Kerala and the time and date would be fixed by Kumar. We will all go to Kerala for it," said Yadav.

The SJD was formed in 2009 when Kumar along with his supporters broke away from the Janata Dal-Secular after the Communist Party of India-Marxist-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) denied him nomination from Kozhikode Lok Sabha constituency, which he represented, to contest the 2009 Lok Sabha polls.

JD-S was a full-fledged part 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 be with them even now.

Kumar named his party as SJD.

"I had raised the issue of having a common platform of all socialists to work together and spoke to Yadav and he also agreed that it was the need of the hour. After the present Lok Sabha elections got over and in the changed circumstances, we want all the secular forces to work together," said Kumar, adding that this was their attempt towards this purpose.

SJD currently has two legislators in the Kerala assembly - K.P. Mohanan, who is the state agriculture minister, while Kumar's son M.V. Shreyams Kumar is the other legislator.