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Brushing aside the comments of senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad have re-iterated that the decision of the merger has already been taken and there is no question of turning back.
"A decision for merger of six parties in Janata Parivar has already been taken and there is no question of going back on it," Kumar told reporters in a bid to clear the cloud of uncertainty over unified Janata Party.
Senior Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav had on Sunday said the merger into Janata Parivar was not possible before Bihar Assembly polls and any such move now would amount to signing the 'death warrant' of his own party.
Kumar, who has been playing a significant role in the unification exercise, did not give much credence to his comments. "Things happen slowly and gradually. Even if a gardener pours 100 pots of water, a tree will bear fruit only in the right season," Kumar said quoting a couplet.
"In democracy everybody has a right to speak but the fact is that there is no irritant in the merger of Janata Parivar now," Kumar said. He said things were going in the "right path" to sort out technicalities of the process and a favourable result would emerge before everybody soon.
Ducking questions as to whether a final picture of the merger with one flag and one symbol would come before Bihar poll later this year, Kumar repeated the couplet and insisted that things would happen in its time. He, however, rubbished reports of any "difference" between JD(U) and RJD over seat sharing for Bihar poll and who would be its face in the crucial Bihar election. "Things are progressing in the right path," he said.
Meanwhile, RJD chief Lalu Prasad termed the comments as a "technical issue". However, he also said talks are in place for "an alliance with the JD-U". "These are technical issues. We will continue to our discussion about the proposed merger. In the meantime, we would also talk about an alliance with the JD-U," said Lalu.
