Search the Internet            Tips

Samta split imminent as dissidents oppose merger with JD(U)

A split appeared imminent in the Samata Party as dissidents Wednesday strongly opposed the party's merger with the Janata Dal (United) and threatened to re-elect Raghunath Jha as chief of Bihar party unit on January 5.

"We will wait for a final communication from Defence Minister George Fernandes till Thursday on these two issues. If he agrees to both, it is well and good, otherwise we will chart our own course of action," an angry Lok Sabha member Prabhunath Singh said after a meeting of rebels in New Delhi at the residence of Arun Kumar, Lok Sabha member from Jehanabad.

It was attended by Brahmanand Mandal, Raghunath Jha, Mahendra Baitha and Manjay Lal besides Prabhunath Singh, all Bihar MPs.

Singh claimed that another MP Renu Kumari was also on their side though she was not present at the meeting.

Differences within the party reached a flash point with the rebels rejecting outright the proposal of Union Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar for Samata Party's merger with JD(U) and opposing the candidature of anyone other than Jha for the post of Bihar party chief.

Samata Party has 11 members in the Lok Sabha of whom ten are from Bihar.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report